


Samsaric

by JJGrace42



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, F/M, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s), POV Female Character, POV Original Character, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2018-11-16 17:14:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 98,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11257311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJGrace42/pseuds/JJGrace42
Summary: Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there. I do not sleep. SI/OC-insert fanfic. Rated M for violence, strong themes, and language.





	1. Prologue - Samsaric

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: This is an OC-insert/reincarnation story with my original character as the protagonist. As such, it will end up being very different from canon and the changed events will cause characters to act differently than they do in the anime/manga. This story requires a certain amount of suspension of disbelief, which is usually necessary for anything Naruto related anyway. Credit for the poem in the summary goes to Mary Elizabeth Frye. Please read and review!
> 
> EXTRA NOTE: This story was originally posted on FF.net under the same username, JJGrace42.
> 
> WARNING: This story will contain depression, suicide, death, gore, etc. Continue at your own risk and be aware that this fic may or may not contain triggers. I’ll try to remember to add potential trigger warnings at the beginnings of the appropriate chapters, but please remember to read safely!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I don’t own Naruto, or Konoha, or Minato, or Obito, or Kakashi (unfortunately), or Itachi, or Jiraiya, or any of those people. I do own me, er, Mirai. Yeah. Mirai.
> 
> I give you the first installment of Samsaric.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Samsaric—adj. 1: relating to the process of coming into existence as a differentiated, mortal creature 2: relating to the endless series of births, deaths, and rebirths to which all beings are subject]

I was sixteen years old, out with some close friends to celebrate my early—and hard fought—graduation from high school. I’d never been to the restaurant before, and even now I can’t remember what the place was called. What I do know is that it was a sushi joint, and that I was there because I’d been told that I had to try the unfamiliar food. I had conceded only when they’d assured me that I wouldn’t have to pick up the tab. So I’d sat and eaten a tuna sushi roll, because I’m not one to ever turn down free food.

The next morning the symptoms had shown up and one of my friends guessed it was food poisoning. We waved it off, not thinking it was a big deal. After all, the last place I wanted to go to was a hospital—I had enough bad memories of those, thank you very much—and my friend was convinced that I would be fine if I followed her generic treatment instructions.

That evening I died in a painful, vomiting fashion.

Bested by tuna.

I’m not particularly proud of the way I died, and I suppose that the cause of my death isn’t the important part. What _is_ important is the very fact that I stopped breathing. It wasn’t actually too bad, and felt more like ripping off a very stubborn bandaid rather than the emotional and physical agony I had expected. I simply was there one moment and then I wasn’t the next. So being greeted by the Dark wasn’t so much of a release from pain as it was a hiccup in my day that resulted in me attempting to blink suddenly not-physical eyes and thinking _huh?_

Hey, now, I never said I was eloquent.

It was empty, nothing echoing in the black, but it was everything, rushing around me with a ferocity I’d never experienced before. Pounding, rending, screaming, but hollow. I couldn’t _feel,_ I couldn’t _see,_ I couldn’t _hear,_ I couldn’t do _anything._ All I could do was think, and even someone that enjoyed doing it as much as me could only do it for so long before they snapped.

The worst part was that my nose itched.

I lived like that—for years, perhaps, or maybe it had only been for a few seconds—before the Dark had finally begun to infect me. My thinking became wild, racing from place to place with nary a thought to routine. Pattern was long forgotten, and my active, writerly mind touched from story to story to occupy myself, never starting at the beginning and never reaching the end. Flashes of TV programs and days out with my family chased themselves through my head. Seeing them made something ache, but by the time I registered the feeling my mind had already moved on.

I’ll never forget the day—hour, second, year?—that I was finally able to concentrate again. The sensation was all too familiar—pain. It started small, a sharp itch beneath my skin—and I had _skin_ again—and developed from there. Roaring, stinging agony burrowed inside me as _something_ made it’s home in my body, and it felt so _wrong_ and _foreign_. I wanted nothing more than to scream, but I couldn’t.

At least I could finally, properly, think.

Somehow, that hurt more than the ache layered under my skin. Because in that moment I realized that I’d spent forever away from my family, my friends, in the Dark. Something was pulsing around me, I was living somewhere, but it was not home.

 _It’s okay,_ I told myself. _You just got sick, that’s all. You’re in the hospital and you’ll wake up and everyone will be there. This is just some stupid, drawn out nightmare, and it’ll be over soon._

I wanted to flinch at the thought of a hospital—those white walls and scratchy blankets and loud nurses that seemed to make it their job to talk you to death—but my body wouldn’t react.

 _That’s okay,_ I thought again. _You’re just asleep._ I paused. As a self-proclaimed psychology fanatic, something about that thought bothered me. _Hold on . . . . If I’m super lucid and all, that means it’s REM sleep, right? But during REM sleep, a person’s body and mind are disconnected in relation to—_

My intelligent (read: nerdy) rambling to myself was cut off as the world around me suddenly _squeezed._

And in that moment I lost all coherent thought as I was twisted and turned and pushed and pulled. Something slimy, slick, oozed across my face and even though I had been aware that I had _skin_ again, now I could actually _feel._

And I hated it.

With a jolt that didn’t translate in physical form, I realized I was crying. Because of the pain? Please. I was known at my dojo for a near freakish pain tolerance. As if I would cry because of a little—

Nope. Crying. Most definitely crying.

It took an embarrassing amount of time for me to regain control over my tear ducts and my wails turned to sobbing hiccups. And that was when my stomach lurched, almost like I was . . . moving? That didn’t make sense. Unless, of course, my best friend had made true on her promise to use my bed as a skateboard the next time I was hospitalized. That was always a possibility.

No, there it was again. But it wasn’t so much moving as it was staying still while everything around me swirled. The crying had returned full force, and I couldn’t stop. Somehow, I didn’t have the energy to even be ashamed anymore. Someone was screaming. No, that wasn’t it. _Everyone_ was screaming. Something oppressive beat down on me, red and angry, and the itch fought its way back to the surface with agony. My veins burned, the blood inside me boiling, and I wanted to scream. I _did_ scream.

To this day, I don’t remember stopping.

* * *

 

I would like to say that I took the discovery of my newborn body well, but that would be a lie, which is a habit I’m trying to break. Though that’s a lie too.

The truth is, the moment I realized that I was small and distinctly _baby-like,_ I started screaming again. And crying. And wailing. And praying to whoever was out there that this was a joke, because what else are you supposed to do? Essentially, my caretakers had barely a week to enjoy my tight rein on my tears before I let all hell break loose.

My vision was shot to hell and I couldn’t see worth squat, but I could hear the mutters of the people watching me as I shrieked all day and night. _Good,_ I thought vindictively. _Someone has to suffer for making me a midget again._

Between my screams and sadistic pleasure in the discomfort I caused, I left myself little time to think about what this actually meant. I was a _baby,_ I’d been _born._ I was _somewhere_ that was _not_ home. And there were _people_ that were _not_ my family. Sometimes, I would be silent long enough to let that hit me, and then when I cried again it would be quiet and painful in more ways than just my burning lungs.

It was one thing to come to terms with the fact that I had died—I had accepted that long ago in the Dark. It was another thing entirely to realize that Sophie Cooper, the person I had once been, was dead, but _I_ was alive.

I had always struggled with handling feelings. I tended to bottle my own emotions up inside and refuse to confront them until they finally exploded in my face. Unfortunately, at that time there wasn’t anything for me to do but face up to what had happened. That didn’t mean it was easy. My wails died off into pitiful whimpers and eventually into nothing as I gave more and more time to my grief, storing it, living it, and then letting it go. I was always good at that, letting things go. Sometimes I found it easier than I probably should have.

It was when I finally let go that I realized I wasn’t alone.

My vision was starting to be more than a mass of white. Things were blurred, uncertain, but colors were available to me now. Above me was white—a ceiling—and below me was white—a bed—to my left was white—a wall—but to my right . . . . The smudge of bronze and yellow was small, but so very close. I didn’t think much of the new colors . . . until they moved.

A wail split the air and for once it wasn’t mine. My heart wrenched in my chest, constricting in the painful way only kids could cause. He—she?—was crying. I tried to reach out, but my arms jerked helplessly in response. _Please don’t cry,_ I pleaded inside my head. _It’s okay sweetheart._

Of course, the baby didn’t stop.

My natural response rose to the surface before I could stop it. The first few notes came out in a squeak and I winced internally. But the screaming faltered and, encouraged, I continued on with my off-key, childish humming. As a musician, and the daughter of a man who spent two decades in the music industry, I was ashamed of the sounds. But the baby next to me calmed, so I didn’t stop until I managed to lull myself to sleep.

* * *

As someone who’d had every intention of going into the field of pediatric therapy, I would have previously said I knew child development inside and out. But nothing could have prepared me for the fact that I couldn’t keep myself from cannibalizing my own foot.

See, the truth is that teething is a you-know-what. To make matters worse, I had nothing to chew on; no toys, no blanket, no nothing. Hence the toes in my mouth. I had no idea where I was—the concept of reincarnation really threw me for a loop—but had these crazy people really never heard of a chilled pacifier? I felt like Chuck Norris wished dishonor on my gums, or something equally gruesome.

It was hell.

That was another thing. So I, along with the baby I assumed was my sibling, had been born. That was a fact. But I was yet to receive any information that hinted at my—our?—parents. Instead, we were bottle-fed and surrounded by those-who-hardly-speak. They wore blurry grey outfits with white over their faces. There were colors on their masks, delicate lines, but my eyes were still too weak to make out details.

My brother was the only thing keeping the boredom from driving me insane.

At that thought, I rolled over to look at him. I was just close enough and my vision finally developed to the point where I could make out his more identifying features. The mop of gold was actually the brightest, most angelic hair I’d ever seen. Below that, he peered at me with giant, azure eyes. Something was on his cheeks and I squinted hard before shrugging internally. Probably dirt.

Those eyes got my attention again, staring at me in confused wonder. _My brother._ The thought hurt. Sophie’s brother was a brunet with a buzz cut and severe video game addiction. But that wasn’t fair. That was . . . _Sophie’s_ brother. This bright-eyed baby . . . . This was _my_ brother. And that realization made me do something I hadn’t done ever before in this life.

I smiled.

* * *

 

My caretakers spoke rarely and when they did I recognized a precious few words at first. It was distinctly Japanese, that much I was able to tell from my anime obsession. After that, I discovered just how hard it was to learn a new language. But I had nothing better to do with my time, so I spent most of my waking hours mulling over the few words they said. Speaking was still beyond me—I could barely crawl, let alone control my delicate tongue—but I managed to pick up some words.

The woman holding me cooed softly, her mask lined with purple and grey. I’d come to know her as Neko, one of the more talkative caretakers. As I drank the formula she was feeding me, Neko began to speak. I only understood a few words but was able to deduce the majority of what she was saying. Context clues were wonderful things, and the only reason I was able to advance at all in my new language.

I caught the words _baby, adorable,_ and _Mirai,_ the last of which I’d come to realize was my name.

When I finished eating, she carried me over to the crib and I was able to look down at my brother. He was so _cute!_ But the moment I began smiling, it turned into a frown. Just what _were_ those on his cheeks? Were those . . . scars? Why did they look familiar?

Neko started speaking again. _Brother, cute,_ and _twin._ My brain was working twice as fast as usual as I tried to remember where I’d seen those marks before. She was still talking. _Mine, sweet,_ and _Naruto._

My gaze snapped up to her and I stared. Did she just say . . . ? The marks, the Japanese, the _name._ This couldn’t be happening, could it? After all, stuff like this only happened in bad fanfiction and crazy dreams. Was that it? Was I really dreaming? I managed to jerk my thumb up to my mouth, securing it over the one lone tooth I could call my own at the moment. And I bit down with all the strength my baby jaws could muster.

I was bleeding, my hand hurt, and this was very, very, very real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: What’s your guilty pleasure when it comes to (Naruto) fanfics?
> 
> Today’s suggested fanfic: Better Late by Ariana Deralte. (on FF.net)


	2. Chapter One - Jejune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Jejune—adj. 1: without interest or significance; dull; insipid 2: juvenile; immature; childish 3: lacking knowledge or experience; uninformed]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: This chapter is much slower and out-of-place than the rest of the story will be, but I promise that it is important. It sets up a lot of things that will be happening later on, even if it doesn’t seem that way right now. So please, read and review!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Last I checked, I’m neither from Japan nor am I a man. Kishimoto-sensei is both of these things. He also owns Naruto, something else that makes him different from me. Do you get my point?
> 
> I give you the second installment of Samsaric.

At first, I was surprised to find that the idea of killing really didn’t bother me. The thought had hit me the day after my minor (or major, if you want to look at it that way) panic attack. Neko had bandaged my hand and I’d been left with Naruto in our crib, sorting through my existential crisis. The very idea of being reincarnated into an _anime,_ of all things, was so ridiculous that I wanted to laugh. In fact, I did try to laugh once I finished crying, but my infant lungs made it come out more as a dying elephant sound. So I kept quiet after that.

With the acceptance of the fact that this was my life now came a very important question: Did I want to be a ninja? My gut reaction was _yes._ Of course I wanted to be a ninja. Who wouldn’t want the ability to walk on water and summon fire at will? But then I forced myself to think it through; being a ninja would mean, eventually, killing people. Would I be okay with that?

I rolled over as well as my baby muscles would allow and stared at Naruto as he slumbered on. In the anime, his life had turned out okay in the end—a wife, kids, the accomplishment of his childhood dream, and even relatively stable peace between the nations. But to get there he’d had to go through a lot of pain—growing up alone, being abandoned by his teammate, losing his godfather, seeing his Village crushed, and even watching his friends fall in a war. Now that I was there, at least one of those things would be different without me having to even try. Naruto would not be alone, this time. This time, I would be with him.

But that still left all the other pain. Could I really sit back and let it all take place? Could I really sit back and watch him suffer? No. For better or for worse, Naruto was my brother. How could I willingly and knowingly let that happen to him? Becoming a ninja was a must if I wanted to be a part of his life. Becoming a ninja was necessary to protect him.

_You’ll have to kill,_ a part of me whispered. _You’ll have to take lives. Are you really strong enough to do that?_

Naruto made a strange hiccuping sound in his sleep and his tiny button nose scrunched up as he continued to dream. I fumbled with my unruly and underdeveloped muscles for a moment, but managed to reach out and grip his little hand in my tiny one. He was so small, and that was how I decided.

_For him,_ I replied, _I’ll always be strong enough._

* * *

 

Solid food, I decided, was a blessing to all mankind. While I was thankful for the formula the ANBU—as I had come to recognize the masked figures as—fed me, I was even more thankful to see the carrots that Mokin was cutting for Naruto and me as we sat in our highchairs, waiting. Naturally, I was much more patient than Naruto, who was wailing angrily in response to his predicament. Uma stood by his chair, desperately waving his hands in an attempt to calm him down.

Mokin chuckled and said something to his fellow shinobi. I was only able to understand a few of the words—learning a new language without a textbook was incredibly hard—but from what I could gather, he was telling Uma to stop scaring Naruto. To which Uma replied with a string of words that Mokin promptly scolded him for. Noting that those were probably swear words, I tucked them away in my mind for future use.

“Dinner is served!” Mokin announced loudly, prancing back over to us. He held out a plate of the food for Uma and then carried the remaining dish over to me. “Open up,” he said, repeating the words I’d heard dozens of times in the past months.

The carrot was mushy and probably more than a little overcooked. But I didn’t particularly mind. I was just happy to have something in my mouth that had more flavor than sweetened cardboard. Another wail from Naruto made Mokin turn away to address Uma again and I realized I had two options; I could get Mokin’s attention and make him keep feeding me, or I could behave like the independent young lady that I was and feed myself. So I reached out and, after several jerky movements and accidental acts of punching myself in the nose, I managed to get a tiny handful of food into my mouth.

Mokin continued to lecture Uma about frightening his charge as I finished feeding myself. When I was done, my stomach was still hungry for more and I felt my mouth pull in a frown. Mokin was still distracted. I made a pitiful whining sound to try to get my attention, but he didn’t even turn towards me, now in what seemed like an argument with the other ANBU.

Frankly, I’d had enough.

With an angry grunt, I reached out, grabbed a fistful of Mokin’s lengthy brown hair, and yanked with all of my infantile strength. With a yelp, he turned back to me. I could see how wide his eyes were behind his mask. Mustering the best scowl I could, I pointed at the empty plate in front of me and then in the general direction of my mouth. He blinked slowly at me and then turned his head towards Uma. “Kids supposed to do that?”

Uma shrugged.

And that was when I realized that if I had been left with anyone other than the not-child-savvy ANBU, the secret of my reincarnated status would probably not have lasted very long.

* * *

 

Learning to walk when your legs have the muscle tone of overcooked noodles is an incredibly difficult task. I had never experienced anything more frustrating than my own muscles refusing to cooperate with my demands. Currently, I was tightly clutching the bars of my crib, curling and uncurling my toes as I studied the distance between me and Neko, who was crouched a good few feet away with her arms held out towards me. Naruto was across the room playing on his back with one of the toys we’d finally been given. I glanced towards him once and then back towards Neko. She nodded encouragingly. “Come on, Mirai-chan!”

I took a deep breath and released the crib, taking a tentative step forward. My knee bent for a moment but I quickly tensed it up so I wouldn’t fall. Neko kept speaking, and I only recognized some of the words. It took an embarrassing amount of time to close the gap between us, but finally I stumbled into her arms.

“Good job!” Neko squealed, sweeping me up and jumping to her feet.

* * *

 

My first word was, in my personal opinion, an adorable, if bastardized, version of my brother’s name.

“Na’to,” I squeaked out, my voice box and tongue completely unwilling to comply with what I was trying to say. I reached out for my brother and firmly grasped his tiny hand in my own. He stared at me, as confused as ever.

Beside me, Mokin froze. Ever so slowly, the brunet set down the senbon he was tending to and turned to me and my twin. His dark eyes bore into me and I blinked. “Say that again,” he ordered.

I pointed at the blond next to me. “Na’to,” I repeated, my mouth twisting the name all wrong. I frowned, but my butchering of the word didn’t seem to upset my caretaker. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Don’t get me wrong, ANBU aren’t exactly the best people to raise kids from infancy. But it would be a lie to say they didn’t care for us. We were utterly, completely, and hopelessly adored.

And so when the fact that I had just said my first word finally registered inside his head, Mokin shot to the door and started yelling for everyone else in the building. They arrived in a flood and I only recognized some of the masks. Not to say that they’d never taken care of me, but my vision had only been good enough to remember specific features within the past couple months. So I scanned my gaze across them, desperately searching for identifying marks that would let me know who some of them were. Maybe I could recognize them from the anime.

“Mirai-chan,” Mokin urged, and man if I wasn’t getting good as understanding Japanese. “Say it again.”

And I complied, which resulted in an entire room of cooing ANBU—an experience that would have been endearing if it wasn’t so traumatizing. So I desperately tried to block out the killers’ adoring sounds and instead returned to my search. And then I wondered how I had missed him. He stuck out in the group—slightly shorter than the rest, but with bright hair that was essentially a beacon. Without another thought, I released my brother and began to toddle towards him. I could hear their words fading away as they watched me curiously.

I reached him, ignoring the way his entire body tensed and how he stepped back. Instead, I grinned up at him with the few teeth I had and clutched desperately to his shinobi pants. I could hear Neko behind me, saying, “C’mon, Inu, pick her up.”

I cocked my head to the side. Inu? That cleared up the who dog mask versus wolf mask war I’d had when writing my fanfics. No matter. I kept my grin intact. “‘Nu!”

He blinked down at me, clearly terrified. “ . . . what?”

“‘Nu!” I said again, hating the fact that I couldn’t squeeze out the first syllable.

“She’s saying your name!” someone squealed. “The cutest thing!”

He hesitated only a moment longer before bending down to lift me. His hands were surprisingly calloused and worn for someone so young, but I guess I should have expected it. The teen cradled me carefully against his chest, as if afraid I would break if not handled correctly. I shifted in his grasp and reached for his covered face, ignoring the way he stiffened. I pressed my hand against the mask. “‘Nu,” I repeated firmly, staring into his widened eye.

Suddenly everyone else surged forwards, clamoring to hold me and introduce themselves. But I shied away and twisted my chubby hands in his sleeves. It was clear in that moment that I had claimed him as mine.

* * *

 

Even though I knew intellectually that Naruto would be developing at the pace of a normal child, he was so much slower than me at figuring things out that it was terribly frustrating, and sometimes downright painful. Getting him to say his first word was a huge stress on my childish patience.

Teaching him to walk, though, was like pulling teeth.

“‘mon, Nato,” I urged, waving him towards me.

He looked at me askance, wobbling uncertainly as he tried to remain standing. Then he turned towards me and my heart stopped. Was he actually going to—

One of the toys on the floor caught his attention and he dropped back down to the ground and reached for it, gurgling happily. I sighed and crossed my arms, pouting. Behind me, I heard a nervous chuckle and looked back to see Inu—or rather, Kakashi—sitting cross-legged in the same spot he’d chosen when he’d come in to watch over us two hours ago. I glanced around for a moment and then reached for the closest thing to me— _The Slug Princess,_ a children’s book about Tsunade and currently my favorite story that I had access to. “Wead,” I demanded, shoving the book towards Kakashi. Then I clumsily climbed in his lap, all too aware of the way he tensed at my touch.

After a moment, he reluctantly cleared his throat and reached for the book. “Okay,” he murmured. “If that’s what you want.”

He read the story uncertainly, stopping in all the wrong places as if wanting to give me plenty of chances to ask him to be done. But instead, I used those moments of silence to trace the kanji he’d just read with my chubby fingers. Learning how to speak Japanese was hard enough. Learning how to read and write it was going to be even more difficult, so I might as well get a head start while I still could. When he finished, the story was nervously set aside and I didn’t move. For a few minutes, I watched as my twin drooled over his toy blocks before sighing and turning just enough so that I could look up at Kakashi’s ANBU mask.

“‘Nu-nii?”

I could see his open eye widen at my honorific. “Hai, Mirai-chan?”

“What shi-no-bi?” I asked, gripping his hand tight and marveling at how tiny I was compared to him.

“Maybe you should ask Neko instead. Or Mokin.”

I glared up at him. “No. ‘Splain.”

He sighed heavily and shifted me in his arms. “Well . . . . Shinobi are people who protect and serve their Village.”

It took me a moment to decipher all the foreign words. “Village?”

“It’s a place, like Konoha.”

“‘lace?”

“And people. A Village is the people you fight for.”

I nodded and reached up to play with his soft, white hair. I wondered what my hair looked like. I could feel it, but it was short and I was left without anything to determine its color. Was I blonde? That would definitely be different from Sophie’s almost-black mane. Did I have the same blue in my eyes as my brother?

“Mirai-chan?”

I blinked, realizing I’d been staring at nothing. After offering him a huge grin, I spoke in all of my infant wisdom.

“Me be shi-no-bi.”

* * *

 

Despite the fact that his status was announced quite obviously by the old-style robes and hat he wore, it took me longer than I cared to admit to realize that it was the Hokage visiting us. _Maybe it’s the lack of wrinkles,_ I mused. _He always looked older in the anime. It is quite a while before I met him in the story. A good eleven or twelve years, right?_

“Well, look here.” He smiled that old, grandfatherly smile. “Konichiwa, Mirai-chan, Naruto-chan. I’m Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage.”

I squinted at him, rocking back and forth on my rear end as I absently played with one of our blocks. After a moment, I tried to repeat what he’d said. “‘aru’obi ‘ru’en. ‘okage.”

“Rarararararararararararara,” Naruto contributed, for which I gave him a beaming grin.

The Hokage chuckled and patted me gently on the head. “It seems you two are growing up to be two strong little shinobi, aren’t you?”

Naruto blinked at him cluelessly. I had to keep from frowning. Shinobi. Was that all he saw us as? We weren’t even a year old!

“Well, seeing as it’s your birthday, I got each of you something.”

I pulled up short. Did that mean that . . . we _were_ a year old? Had I really been in this other world for twelve months?

“And . . . tada!” He proudly held out two stuffed animals—a bright orange and green frog and a black and grey dog. “Each of you gets one of these. I hopes this makes up for me not seeing you in the past year.”

I stared at him and Naruto started crawling towards the brightly colored frog, drawn in by it’s neon-like hues.

“Oh, what am I saying,” the Hokage murmured under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear him. “You’re too young to understand me anyway.”

I forced back a frown and reached for the dog with chubby hands. “‘rigato,” I told him.

He chuckled and patted me on the head again. I resisted a scowl. I really didn’t like it when he did that. “I must get going, you two. I’ll see you again soon. Have fun.” With that, he swept out of the room. I stared after him, surprised to find that after that little meeting, I wasn’t particularly fond of the Hokage. But he _did_ give us toys—something other than the repetitive wooden blocks to entertain ourselves with. I glanced towards Naruto to find him gnawing happily  away at one of his frog’s legs. I couldn’t help but giggle.

“Well, well, what do you have there?” a cheery voice asked.

I turned to grin up at Neko. I held out my dog. “Pig!”

She laughed lightly and knelt down. “No, no, Mirai-chan. That’s a dog.”

I nodded seriously. “Know.” I pointed at myself. “Mirai.” Then at the stuffed animal. “Pig.”

She blinked. “Its . . . name is Pig?”

I nodded rapidly, happy that she understood.

“But why? It’s not a pig.”

“Know! ‘at why funny!” With that, I burst into hysterical giggled and rolled backwards, clutching my toy to my chest.

“Rrremmmshhhii?”

I blinked and rocked back to my feet, turning towards the mutilated sounds. What in the world was that?

“Marrrrrannna.”

“Nato?” I questioned, staring at my brother as he clutched his frog to his chest and watched me.

He frowned and tried again. “Mmmiii . . . rai?”

I stared. He grinned.

“Rai!”

I tackled him, my emotions getting the better of me as I cried like the child I was.

* * *

 

Unlike Naruto, I quickly learned to abuse the freedom that walking, running, and jumping gave me. While he was often content to sit down and watch me, all while chewing on his frog, Ribbit, I entertained myself with active movement. The childish part of me insisted that I do it because it was fun. The older, more logical part of me argued that it was a good opportunity for training to be a shinobi in the future. Which would be exactly why I ended up jumping over Pig again and again for an hour, all while singing I’m a Little Teapot as best I could in Japanese and humming the parts I couldn’t translate.

_It’s practice for regulating your breathing,_ that logical part of me said. _It feels like flying!_ the other part said. I wasn’t sure if I should have been disturbed or not that it was so easy for me to act like an little kid.

Uma chuckled and set aside the kunai he’d been sharpening, picking up another one. “What’s that song, Mirai-chan? I’ve never heard it before.”

I stopped, breathing hard and stooping down to grab Pig. “‘ade it!” I announced proudly. My other possible answer was _I learned it in my past life,_ but for some reason I didn’t think that would go over well. Then I toddled over to him and plopped down in front of the weapons he had laid out. Part of me liked that he didn’t make me move away, because I wasn’t dumb enough to mess with the sharp blades. But another part of me was upset with him. What if Naruto had walked over instead? Naruto didn’t know what would happen if he picked up a knife.

“Whaddis?” I asked, pointing.

“Kunai,” Uma told me. “Shinobi use them to fight.”

I nodded and pointed at the stack of weapons he hadn’t got to get. “‘at?”

“Those are shuriken. They’re used for fighting too, but you can only throw those. You can’t fight hand-to-hand while holding them.”

I blinked at him and then nodded. Honestly, it was painfully clear that ANBU had no idea how a child was supposed to develop. What had the Hokage been thinking, putting us with them? Not that I minded, of course, because it meant I could advance quicker than I could have if I had been trying to be a convincing baby. Then I settled on my next question. “‘ight?”

“Fight.” He nodded. “You’ll learn how to do it someday. Here in a few years, you’ll probably start learning taijutsu.”

Well, that wouldn’t do. “‘ears?”

“Yep. A few years.”

I shook my head stubbornly at him. “Now.”

He blinked and I studied the patterns on his mask as he collected himself. “Now? Mirai-chan, you’re tiny. You wouldn’t be able to.”

That cinched it. I was pulling out my ultimate weapon. I opened my eyes as wide as I could and let my bottom lip tremble. Puppy eyes activated. Uma visibly leaned away, taken off guard.

“Mirai-chan, I . . . .”

Upping cuteness. “Pwease?”

He stared at me for a moment longer before sighing heavily and packing up his weapons. “I’ll take you to Inu,” he said begrudgingly. “He started training around your age, so he probably knows what to do.” He tucked his things away and then moved over to scoop Naruto up. “Let’s go find ‘im, then.” He motioned to me and I toddled after him as fast as I could, scrambling to make my infant legs keep up with his long strides. Noting that we were obviously going to Kakashi’s room, I tried to commit the route to memory for later use.

“Hey, Inu.” Uma pushed the door open and I noted irritably that the fifteen-year-old had already gotten his ANBU mask in place by the time I saw him. “You started training when you were their age, right?”

Kakashi made an agreeing sound in the back of his throat, sitting down on the edge of his bed. I walked unsteadily towards him and he watched me for a moment. When I reached him, I held out my arms. “Up! Up!”

He reached down and lifted me into his arms. Then he turned towards Uma. “We’re not training them. They’re too young. You saw what that did to me.”

Uma scoffed dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. Trust me, it wasn’t my idea. But Mirai has been very insistent, so maybe if we start ‘em off on something easy? Maybe it’ll satisfy her enough until she’s older.”

I resisted a snort, playing with the half-done latches on Kakashi’s armor. Either he’d been getting ready for a mission or he’d been just returning from one. I sniffed and wrinkled my nose at the strong smell of iron. Blood. He must have just returned. With that information, I began undoing the armor the rest of the way as best as I could with my chubby fingers. He didn’t seem to really notice, instead seeming to think over Uma’s words.

Finally he sighed. “Alright. We can start her off with some stretches and maybe the bare bones basics of the Academy kata, if that’s really what she wants.”

I beamed up at him. “Yep!” And with that, I managed to undo the shoulder strap and I shoved the armor aside. Kakashi jerked in surprise as it fell off his other shoulder and it took him a moment to actually pull it the rest of the way off. He eyed me and then nodded. “Alright. I’ll get cleaned up and I’ll teach you, okay?”

I grinned. “Yay!”

Uma cleared his throat. “I’ll take Naruto back to their room, since he really doesn’t seem interested. Have fun with your little prodigy, okay?”

Kakashi grunted at that as Uma left and closed the door. I blinked. Prodigy? Oh, dear Kami, was that what I was being labeled as, now? That couldn’t be good.

He set me on the ground and eyed me for a moment as I petted Pig. Then he sighed. “Stay right here, alright? I’m know you’re smart enough to do that.”

I looked up at him with wide eyes and nodded.

“Good girl. I’ll be right back.” With that, he disappeared into his bathroom and I could hear the shower start running moments later.

I looked around the room, taking in how amazingly bare it was. He had a few shuriken and kunai laying about, but they were too high for me to reach. There were no pictures and nothing personal to mark that it was his. All in all, it was painfully sad.

I realized with a jolt that the smell of blood was still very, very strong. It was odd, because my sense of smell had never been this good in my last life. I scowled at the armor left on his bed and the red clearly stained on it—the source of the smell. The smell of blood in and of itself didn’t bother me, but the fact that it was Kakashi’s blood made me unexplainably angry. I forced myself to concentrate on something else by combing the dust out of Pig’s fur—ANBU HQ didn’t exactly have the cleanest floors.

The shower shut off and I looked up, waiting. Only a little bit later, the door opened and I grinned. “‘Nu-nii!”

Then I stopped short in shock when I realized that even though he still wore his half-face mask, his ANBU mask was nowhere to be seen. “‘Nu-nii?” I asked curiously. I knew it was him, of course, but seeing his face so suddenly took me off-guard.

He moved forward and knelt in front of me. “You sure you want to train, Mirai-chan?”

I reached out and brushed my chubby fingers against the scar that crossed his closed eye. Then I nodded. “Uh-huh.”

He sighed heavily. “Okay. We’ll start with some stretches, alright?”

It was hard to make my nineteen-month-old body cooperate, but I followed the routine to the best of my ability. He was patient with me, guiding me through the various stretches and giving me plenty of time to rest when I needed it. Finally, we moved on to kata and he did his best to help me remember the steps. When we were done, he gave me that famous eye-smile and patted me on the head. For some reason, I didn’t mind it as much as when the Sandaime did it.

“Good job, Mirai-chan.”

I beamed at him, resisting the overwhelming urge to yawn. Then I squished Pig against my chest and held my other arm out. “Up! Up!”

He chuckled and swept me up into his arms. “Alright, alright.” Kakashi shifted his grasp on me so that he could sit down on his bed and lean against the headboard. I snuggled myself against his chest, sighing contentedly. After a moment, I quietly asked, “Story?”

“You didn’t bring any books,” he rumbled, and I giggled at the way I could feel it in his chest.

“You tell story,” I insisted, peering up at him. “Pwease?”

He sighed heavily. “I don’t really know any stories, Mirai-chan.”

Puppy dog eyes, activated.

Another heavy sigh. “Alright, I’ll think of something.” I closed my eyes and could feel him rest his hand on my head again as he thought. After a few minutes of silence, he began. “There is one that my father told me when I was young. It’s called _The Boy Who Cried Bijuu.”_

I giggled. Who would have thought that this universe would have stories so obviously similar to the fairy tales I’d grown up with? So I let him talk and fell asleep amid his quiet words and the smell of woodsmoke that always seemed to be around him.

* * *

 

It started out as a simple dream, or maybe it was more of a memory. It had my family, my old family, just as I remembered them. I’d been trying to forget, or maybe I’d been just trying to move on. Either way, I hadn’t thought about them in a long time. It hurt too much.

_“Oi, Sophie!” Daniel leaned across the table and flicked me in the forehead. “Are you even listening to me?”_

_I blinked and pulled out my earphones, looking up from my computer screen. “Whaddya want?”_

_His face pulled into a scowl. “You were completely ignoring everything I was saying, weren’t you?”_

_“Well, duh,” I muttered. “It’s my day off and I’m exhausted. Why are you bothering me?”_

_“Brynn wanted help with her homework, but I kinda suck at English. Do you think you could help her?”_

_I groaned, letting my head drop onto the table. “Why can’t Mom or Dad help her?”_

_“They’re on a date. C’mon, Soph.”_

_A sigh. “Fine, fine. No problem.”_

_“Great! I’ll go get her!” He hurried off._

_With an angry moan, I shut my computer and turned around. “Alright, Brynnie. What’s—” I stopped short, blinking. “What the hell is this?” I stumbled backwards, reaching back for the table to brace myself. Nothing was there and I tumbled to the ground, coughing on the dust it kicked up. My head hit the hard-packed dirt and I found the sky above me spinning. And in the middle of all that darkness was a blood-red moon._

_Someone was screaming and I scrambled to my knees, fingers digging into the ground as I stared at the carnage around me. So many bodies and broken bones and terrified faces. And in the distance, looming above it all, was the Juubi._

_“What the hell is going on!” I shrieked, my heart trying to drum its way through my ribcage. “What is—” And then my breath turned to dry, sticky ice in my mouth as I stared at the body no more than five feet away from me. His body was almost unrecognizable, his hair so matted with blood that it was impossible to tell what color it really was. But the whisker marks on his cheeks were unmistakeable. “N-nato?”_

_He didn’t answer. He didn’t move. He didn’t breathe._

_My heart had stopped and I could only stare, could only wish I wasn’t seeing what was in front of me. “No, no, no, no. Nato? Please talk to me. Nato? Nato!”_

“Mirai-chan, shhh. It’s okay.”

My throat burned with my tears as I sobbed, digging my hands into Pig and desperately fighting against the bile turning over in my stomach. What kind of sick dream had that been? Why would my brain turn on me so much as to think that I could change things so horribly that Naruto would—

“Mirai-chan?”

I jumped at the voice, squeaking in a completely undignified way. When I flailed wildly and fell backwards, however, I was caught and I found myself pressed up against something warm. A hand rubbed gently against my back and I could hear someone hushing me. I tried to stifle my tears but they just ended up choking me and I couldn’t help but wail. I heard the door creak open, but even that couldn’t make me stop.

“Inu, what’s going on?” a void hissed, and I vaguely recognized it as Mokin.

“Nightmare,” Kakashi murmured, his voice rumbling in his chest. The sound calmed me and I managed to silence my sobs, breaths shaky as I curled my chubby fingers into his shirt.

“Maybe we should get her back in her crib.”

I felt another pair of hands hook under my arms and I whined pitifully, tightening my grip. “No,” I whimpered. “No, no.”

The hands paused and then retreated. Kakashi’s voice rumbled again. “Let her stay.”

Mokin sighed and a moment later I could hear the door creak closed. Kakashi shifted me in his arms and I finally released his shirt, rubbing my dry eyes. “‘Nu-nii?”

“I’m right here, Mirai-chan.”

I blinked to clear my hazy vision and looked up at him. He eye-smiled at me and patted my head again. “How you feeling, little one?”

“‘kay,” I mumbled, curling up in his lap and petting Pig’s ears.

“What was your nightmare about?”

I shook my head and rubbed my face again, wincing at the dried drool that had crusted around my mouth. “Ewwwww,” I muttered.

He chuckled and held me close as he stood up and paced towards the bathroom. “Alright, alright, let’s get you cleaned up.” He pushed opened the door and set me on the counter. And that was the first time in this life that I’d seen a mirror.

Seeing myself in this body was . . . interesting. I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to look like, but this most definitely wasn’t it. I lacked the snow-white paleness to my skin that I’d had in my old life, and it’d been replaced with a bronze tan similar to Naruto’s. After that, I was suddenly hit by the fact that I was undeniably Uzumaki Kushina’s daughter.

My hair was a mess of scarlet that barely brushed against the tips of my ears, marking me as an Uzumaki for all to see. Beneath my fiery mane, I stared back at myself from sharp, violet eyes. Most definitely not what I had expected. My small, pudgy fingers brushed over the whisker marks etched into my cheeks. I couldn’t even recognize myself.

“Here we go,” Kakashi murmured, wetting a cloth and scrubbing my cheeks clean. I made a face, watching in fascination at the way it looked in the mirror. He arched an eyebrow. “Yeah, that’s you, Mirai-chan.”

After a moment, I finally regained my senses. Then I giggled. “Not look like Nato.”

* * *

 

“Rai,” Naruto whined, rolling around on the floor next to me and repeatedly hitting me with his frog, whom he’d lovingly named Ribbit. “Raaaaaaiiii!”

I hummed in response, reaching out blindly to ruffle his golden hair. “Hai, Nato?” I asked distractedly, turning the worn page of my book. I traced the faded kanji with my free hand, muttering the words under my breath as I read them. I knew _The Slug Princess_ by heart—I’d made Kakashi read it to me hundreds of times, after all—and that only helped in my journey to learn how to read.

“Raaaaaaiiiiii!”

I tore my gaze away from the book to meet my brother’s wide-eyed gaze. He pouted, his way of showing me that he was upset with the way I was ignoring him “Gomen, Nato.” I shut the tattered book and set it aside.

Seeing that he had my full attention, he beamed and scrambled to his feet. “Play?” he asked excitedly.

I thought about that for a moment and then nodded. “Hide ‘n’ seek?”

“Yeah!” He bounced. “I hide?”

I nodded. “Go!”

He scrambled off, Ribbit in hand, and I closed my eyes, starting to count to thirty. When I was done, I leapt to my feet. “‘kay!” I yelled, letting him know I was coming, clutching Pig tightly to my chest, I ran out of the room and searched for his chakra signature.

Naruto, I’d found, was like a beacon of energy. I’d discovered a little while back that it made him easier to find. The ANBU never let their chakra shields slip, of course, so I never sensed anything from them. And the bijuu chakra coursing through my brother made him basically the only light in a dark room. It hurt a little, or more than a little. At first it felt like someone was rubbing sandpaper along the inside of my skin, but I got used to it. It made me feel better to know that I could always find him with that. At least until he was old enough to learn how to shield it.

Sensing him to the left, I turned that way and marched purposefully down the hallway. “Nato!” I called. I froze when I heard a giggle from a room several doors ahead. He’d gotten Neko to hide him, then? I skipped towards the door and knocked. “Nato! Ya there?”

“Well, konichiwa, Mirai-chan.”

I squeaked in surprised at the unexpected voice and tumbled backwards, holding Pig up in front of my face as protection. Then I peeked over his ears and blinked up at the man standing in front of me, flanked by two ANBU. “Uhhhh, konichiwa,” I offered nervously. I recognized him, of course, but it would probably raise several red flags if I showed that I remembered him from a three minute visit when I was twelve months old.

“I know you don’t remember me, but I’m Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage. I gave you and your brother those stuffed animals on your birthday last year.”

I blinked at him and then nodded once. Neko’s door creaked open and the masked ANBU ushered my brother out before bowing to the Sarutobi. “Hokage-sama.”

Naruto stumbled forward and latched onto my arm. “Rai, who is dat?”

“Hokage,” I told him simple. Then I poked Ribbit. “Gave ya dat.”

Naruto lit up and stared up at the Hokage in awe. “Weally?”

The Sandaime nodded and knelt down to our level with a smile. “Well, since it’s your second birthday today, I’ve brought you more presents.” This time he brought out two, large wrapped presents. “One for each of you.” He held the yellow-wrapped present out to Naruto and the red-wrapped on to me.

I took my gift and turned to watch Naruto as he ripped his open. He gasped and let out a delighted squeal. “Lookie!” He pulled out the fluffy, bright orange blanket and pressed his face into it. “Soft!”

I giggled and reached out, rubbing my fingers across it. Then he waved at my present. “Open!”

“‘kay,” I murmured, ripping off the paper and grinning at the blanket it exposed—identical to Naruto’s in every way except for the fact that it was a dark purple. I turned and bowed. “Arigato!”

The Hokage smiled widely and patted me on the head. My lips pulled down, but I forced a smile for him. He nodded distractedly and patted Naruto on the head as well. “Well, I must be going. I do hope you two enjoy your presents.”

I watched as he retreated, something angry stirring in the pit of my stomach. But I was distracted from that when someone picked me up. I squeaked in surprise, desperately holding onto Pig and my blanket. My nostrils filled with the familiar smell of roasted pumpkin and I relaxed as Mokin chuckled. “Alright, time for bed, you two,” he sang, scooping Naruto up in his other arm.

I felt the familiar cool draft as we entered out room and Mokin carried us over to our shared crib. He lowered me down into it first and Naruto whined until he joined me. Mokin chuckled and moved towards the door, flicking off the light. “Sleep well, you two.”

Naruto nestled up right away in a messy pile with his blanket and stuffed animal. I fluffed out my blanket and wrapped it around my shoulders before tucking Pig to my chest. With that done, I curled protectively around him and kissed his forehead. “Night, Nato.”

“Night,” he mumbled.

With that, I closed my eyes and fell right asleep, knowing my brother was safe.

* * *

 

Nightmares were something I was very familiar with. In my last life, I’d struggled with anxiety and depression, both of which had contributed to bad dreams. My night terrors ranged from low grades to flashbacks to the time another girl snapped my leg in half. Dying hadn’t helped with that, nor had the fact that my brain had decided to come up with the awful possibility of me losing Naruto because I wasn’t strong enough.

So I wasn’t terribly surprised when I awoke the night of my second birthday, drenched in sweat with my lips parted in a silent scream. My body jolted as I snapped out of the dream and then I froze, worried that I’d woken Naruto. I listened carefully to his even breathing. He was still asleep.

I uncurled from around him, my muscles cramped from holding that position for so long. It took me only a split second to make my decision, and by then I’d already tossed Pig and my blanket over the side of our crib. Climbing out was difficult, especially with my tiny frame, but eventually I managed it. Curling my toes against the cold concrete floor, I wrapped my blanket around my shoulders and it trailed behind me as I toddled out into the hall, Pig clutched to my chest. I walked the path I’d taken dozens of times in the past few months. I reached the room I’d been looked for and pushed on the door, surprised when it gave way and swung open.

“‘Nu-nii?” I asked quietly, stepping into the room. I glanced around as I moved farther inside. “‘Nu-nii?”

There was no answer.

He’d left for a mission a couple days before, but he should have been back earlier that day. Frowning, I moved over to his bed and scrambled to get up on top of it. I tightened my blanket around myself and snuggled against his pillows, breathing in the smell of woodsmoke. I didn’t fall asleep, too afraid of the nightmares that would be waiting for me. Instead, I relaxed and waited.

A while later—it had probably been hours, but I wasn’t sure—I heard the door open. Something clattered loudly to the floor and the door slammed shut. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, and focused in on the figure moving towards the bathroom. “‘Nu-nii?” I asked quietly, resisting a yawn.

He froze. Then he very slowly turned towards me. “Mirai-chan,” he slurred. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

“‘ightmare.” I hugged Pig to my chest and sniffed at the strong smell of blood in the air. “You ‘urt?”

“A little,” he conceded. He turned back towards the bathroom. “I’ll be back as soon as I can be, alright?”

“‘kay,” I murmured. He flicked the light on in the bathroom and I just barely got a glimpse of the red staining his midsection before he closed the door. I frowned worriedly, straining my ears to listen. Anything I might have heard was drowned out when he started the shower.

I wasn’t sure how much time passed, but finally the door opened again and Kakashi stepped out, scrubbing his hair with a towel. I couldn’t help but stare. He was shirtless and, even though his torso was covered in layer after layer of bandages, his face was completely bare. I giggled and he glanced sideways at me with his one open eye. “Yes, Mirai-chan?”

“You’re cute!” I chirped, beaming at him.

The sixteen-year-old stared blankly at me for a moment before making a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. He moved over to the bed and flicked on the lamp before tossing his towel aside. “Do you want to talk about your nightmare?” he asked me, patting me on the head in greeting.

I shook my head. “No,” I said in a small voice.

Kakashi paused. “Alright.” Then he eye-smiled at me. “I’ve got a present for you, little one.” He turned and dug through his dresser for a moment before pulling out a badly wrapped present and pushing it towards me. “I got a present for Naruto, too—a pair of goggles—but I don’t think it’d be a good idea to wake him right now.”

I giggled at that and picked up the present. I tore excitedly at the wrapping paper and lit up when I saw what was inside. _“The Slug Princess!”_

He chuckled and sat on the bed as well, wadding up the torn paper and tossing it aside. “I noticed your old book was pretty beat up.”

“Arigato, Niisan!” I announced loudly, throwing myself at him and hugging him tightly around his middle. He wrapped an arm tightly around me to keep me still and I felt him take the book from my hands. He set it aside and then pushed Pig into my arms before spreading the blanket over my shoulders. He clicked the lamp off.

And I fell asleep.

* * *

 

We were two and a half when we finally went outside. It started off as a normal day. After lunch came and went, Naruto and I were deeply involved in a very serious game of two-player tag. Our playtime was interrupted when Naruto was chasing me down the hallway and I was very suddenly swept up into Mokin’s arms. Naruto screeched to a stop. “Hey! No fair!”

Mokin chuckled, the sound echoing oddly behind his mask. “Hey, you two. Inu and I are gonna go get some training in. Want to come watch?”

I blinked at him. Was he asking what I thought he was?

Naruto frowned. “Trainin’?”

“Yep. Outside.”

My brother’s eyes widened dramatically and he dragged his goggles down from his forehead to cover his eyes. “Outside? Yeah! Yeah!”

Inu stepped out of his room, adjusting the way his ANBU mask sat over his face. “Well?”

“Naruto-chan seems excited,” Mokin announced. “What about you, Mirai-chan?”

I barely even thought about it. “Yeah!”

Kakashi picked Naruto up and turned down the hall, leading the way. “Now, listen you two, you’ll need to stay where we put you, okay? If you move around to much, it’ll be dangerous, understand?”

Naruto just looked confused, but I nodded. “Hai!”

And then I saw the sun for the first time in this life.

I squinted at the sudden bright light, just then realizing how dark ANBU HQ was inside. Naruto started laughing, staring wide-eyed around at everyone as we moved. He kept pointing things out excitedly and having Kakashi name them for him.

“Whassat?”

“That’s a tree, Naruto-chan.”

“Whassat?”

“That’s another tree.”

“Whassat?”

“Tree.”

“Wha—”

“Tree.”

I giggled at their conversation and paused, feeling something pricking at my senses. It was familiar. It felt like when I sensed Naruto’s chakra, but it was weaker, almost like it was farther away. I glanced towards the left, where the feeling was coming from. Was that the Village? The farther away from it we moved, the less I could feel it.

Before I could think on it further, Mokin set me down next to Naruto under the shade of a tree. “Don’t move from here, alright?” The brunet ANBU nodded and then moved a safe distance away with Kakashi. I watched for a moment as they began warming up with kata, then I glanced to the side. “Hey, Nato—”

He wasn’t there.

Panic rammed against my ribcage and suddenly it as hard to breathe. “Nato? Nato!”

“Rai! Lookie!”

I whipped around to where his voice came from and found him sitting in front of a bush a few feet away, making a crown of leaves and sticks for Ribbit. I breathed a sigh of relief, adrenaline still burning in my veins. I crawled over to him and pulled him into a hug. “Don’t scare me like that,” I ordered.

He blinked up at me in confusion. “‘kay?”

I sighed and released him. Then something burned against my senses and I yelped in surprised, flailing and falling backwards. Naruto’s eyes widened. “Rai? Rai! _Rai!”_

And suddenly the burning stopped and large arms lifted me. “Mirai? Mirai, what’s wrong?”

I couldn’t answer. The pain was gone, but I still found it difficult to breathe and the hysteria still very much alive. I felt a huge weight crushing down on my chest and I gasped desperately. Something pressed against my forehead and I could no longer hear coherent voices, just a blur of sounds.

When I woke up again, I didn’t recognize where I was. The first thing I did was the same thing I did every morning—I reached out for Naruto’s chakra to make sure I knew where he was.

He wasn’t there.

My eyes snapped open and I jerked up, already glancing wildly around. “Nato? Nato!”

The person in the chair by my bed flinched awake. “Mirai-chan! Hey, hey, calm down, it’s okay. Naruto is back at HQ with everyone else.”

It took me a moment to register Kakashi’s words, but then I took a deep breath to calm myself. I looked around the room. “Where?”

“You’re in the hospital,” Kakashi said quietly. “Mirai-chan . . . . Do you know what chakra is?”

I nodded. “Uma told me.”

“Good. Now, the doctors said that you’re chakra hypersensitive. That means you’re very reactive to it. Does that make sense?”

I blinked at him. He really had now idea how to talk with a child’s vocabulary. But I nodded slowly. “Kinda.”

“Alright. They said that doesn’t mean you can’t be a ninja, but just that it’ll be hard for you to get used to feeling chakra. Okay? But they also said you’ll probably make a great chakra sensor someday.”

I cocked my head to the side. “Cha-ka-ra sensor?”

He nodded. “It means being able to feel chakra. That way it’s easy to find or recognize people.”

I squinted at him and nodded once. “‘kay. Wha’ happened?”

“I used a jutsu with a lot of chakra. It seems your system overreacted to it and tried to shut down in response.”

“Uh-huh.” I frowned. “Nato ‘kay?”

Kakashi chuckled and patted me on the head. “Yes. Naruto is just fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Answer: My Naruto fanfic guilty pleasure would honestly have to be Akatsuki kitten stories. They’re absolute garbage about 99% of the time, the plot is always full of holes, the OCs are typically Mary Sues, and the writing leaves a lot to be desired. But the Akatsuki are my babies, and I can tolerate all those other things if it means I get to read about them as cute, adorable kitty cats.
> 
> Question: Do you have any pets? What are they and what are their names?
> 
> Today’s suggested fanfic: Legacy by Nymbis. (on FF.net)


	3. Chapter Two - Fugacious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Fugacious—adj. 1: lasting but a short time; fleeting 2: As in botany, falling or fading early]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: These first few chapters of Samsaric are getting published quickly, but don’t get too used to it. I’ve already had these written for a while and decided I might as well share what I already have. But then things will slow down and I’ll only be publishing things as I finish them, which means there might be a bit of a longer break in between each chapter. Please don’t forget to read and review!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Everything that isn't Kishimoto-sensei's is mine. Now, that doesn't leave a lot, does it?
> 
> I give you the third installment of Samsaric.

“Read it again!” Naruto snuggled up against me, his orange blanket held tightly around his shoulders.

I giggled and flipped back to the first page of _The Slug Princess._ “You sure, Nato?”

“Yep!” He moved so that he was leaning against my leg, resting his chin on his thigh. “Read.”

I ruffled his hair. “Alright, alright. Now, let’s see.”

“Mirai-chan, Naruto-chan, I’m pleased to see that you two are growing up well.”

Naruto squeaked in surprise and scrambled behind me. I blinked and looked up. I squinted curiously. “Hokage?” I asked.

He chuckled and moved forward, kneeling in front of us. He looked more tired than he had the last time he’d visited. “Hai, that’s me. You’re a smart one, aren’t you.” Then he cleared his throat. “I’ve got two surprises for you, today. First, your presents. Happy birthday.” He held out two neatly wrapped presents. Like before, I took mine and then turned to watch Naruto.

“Look! Look, Rai!” Naruto waved around the awful nightcap he’d received. Excitedly, he pulled it on over the goggles sitting on his forehead.

I giggled. “That’s great!” Then I turned to my own present and carefully tore away the wrapping paper. I was slower in opening my package, wondering if the Hokage had really gotten me a nightcap. My fears were unfounded, however, when I opened the box to find . . . a beanie? I shrugged, not about to complain. It was black with the Konoha symbol delicately embroidered in white on the edge. I pulled it on, though it was big, and grinned up at the man. “Arigato!”

He smiled again, in that old man way that remind me of my—Sophie’s—grandpa. “I’m glad you two like them.”

“What the other thing?” I asked curiously.

“The two of you are older now, and I believe it’s time for you to spend time with children your age.”

Naruto lit up. “Friends?”

I frowned, knowing exactly what he meant. “You wanna put us in the orphanage.”

He blinked, obviously not having expected that leap of logic. “Hai. I brought two bags for your things to be packed in.” He set two knapsacks in front of us.

Naruto’s eyes widened and became watery. “But I no wanna leave.”

I hugged Naruto tightly, knowing we couldn’t exactly argue with the Hokage. Then I thought about it. After all, the orphanage was run by civilians. And civilians in the anime were never exactly friendly towards Naruto at this point in time because of the Kyuubi and—

My train of thought crashed as I realized something I should have probably realized a while ago.

I was Uzumaki Mirai, Uzumaki Naruto’s twin sister. That meant that _his_ parents were _my_ parents. That meant that _my_ parents were Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. And that also meant that I had no idea how the Kyuubi sealing had gone. Was Naruto even a jinchuuriki? Was _I_ a jinchuuriki?

It took me a moment to return to reality, and I realized that Naruto was hitting the Hokage with question after question about being a shinobi while the old man himself threw me curious looks. I cleared my throat. “Ne, Nato, Oyaji is real busy. We should let ‘im go?” I blinked at the man.

The Kami no Shinobi watched me for a moment before begrudging me a nod. “I suppose. I hope you two make plenty of friends. Mokin and Uma will take you to the orphanage when you’re all packed.” He patted me on the head and left.

Mokin cleared his throat and moved forward, picking up one of the bags and folding up my blanket, putting it neatly away. I watched as Uma did the same with Naruto’s things. Finally, I held out my book to Mokin as Naruto clung to me, sniffling. “Where’s ‘Nu-niisan?”

“He’s out on a mission,” Mokin said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

I nodded, frowning. Then I lifted my arms and he picked me up. Uma did the same with Naruto.

And then we left the only home I’d known in this life.

The moment we arrived at the orphanage was the moment I confirmed the hospital’s suspicions that I was a chakra sensor. They were all civilians—children, for the most part—and their reserves were obviously small, but my untrained senses felt like they were being pricked by dozens of tiny, melting needles.

Not exactly pleasant.

The ANBU dropped us off at the entrance and I offered them a sad wave before they disappeared, knowing that it was probably the last time I would see Uma and Mokin for years. Then my attention turned to the building and yard in front of us. Or, more specifically, the Matron standing in the doorway and scowling at us. “Inside,” she snapped.

I didn’t like her.

My protective instinct—the same one that had been my constant companion in my old life—surged and I gripped Naruto’s hand tightly, leading him inside and adjusting my position so I was always between him and the woman. She eyed us, her gaze harsh, before grinding out directions to our room. Curiously, when we reached it we discovered that it was completely separate and secluded from the other orphans. Imagine that.

“Ne, Rai?”

I hummed in response, glancing back at him.

“Jiji said we gonna live here?”

I nodded and took his bag from him, moving over to the dresser. “Hai.” It didn’t take long to put our things away, then I got a good look at the room. It was pretty bare—two beds, a small dresser, two nightstands, and a door that I, upon further investigation, discovered led to our own personal bathroom. I couldn’t help but marvel at how obvious it was that the Matron wanted us far and away from her other charges.

“Dinner!” the Matron yelled, and I winced at her loud voice.

Naruto perked up. “Food.”

I nodded, my nerves still on edge from the chakra scratching against my skin. But I reached out and took his hand. “Hungry, Nato?”

“You bet, dattebayo!”

He took off running, dragging me behind him, and I couldn’t help but stare at him. Dattebayo? I giggled at that, but then stumbled to a stop when we suddenly found the entrance to the cafeteria blocked by the Matron.

She glared down at us, hands on her hips. “Listen you two. I’m not happy to have you here, but I gotta make do with what I’ve got. So here’s the deal—one toe out of line, and I’ll chop your entire foot off. Got it?”

Naruto whimpered and I stepped in front of him. “Hai,” I said confidently, glaring up at her.

“Good.” Then she shoved a plate in each of ours hands. “Eat up.”

She pushed us both inside the cafeteria and we stumbled to the closest table. The kids all eyed us curiously as we sat down, but didn’t greet us. I looked down at the food on our plates and scowled. Burnt bread? Cold chicken? How heartless did you have to be to intentionally serve that type of food to children?

Naruto poked at his food before cautiously biting into the meat. “Rai, it’s not very good.”

I took a bite of the cold chicken and winced. “I know. But we have to eat, don’t we?”

* * *

 

So apparently reincarnation can severely screw up someone’s sleep schedule. Though I supposed reincarnation wasn’t _completely_ to blame for it—Naruto was actually the main reason for the change. I found myself never sleeping in later than seven, which was a strange and foreign feeling, but that was really only a small adjustment in my sleeping habits. The other differences were so much more obviously _off_ that I didn’t even notice my new early-riser habits for months. No, instead my attention was focused on the fact that I never got to sleep sooner than midnight, and I always woke at least twice throughout the night.

Naruto was prone to nightmares, not to mention that he was afraid of the dark.

But no matter how often he kept me awake and disrupted my sleep, I didn’t blame him. I _couldn’t._ How could anyone look at those teary, baby blue eyes and blame him? Well, most of the Village could, but that was beside the point.

The day had been pretty normal, by our standards. We’d been banned from breakfast, barely given lunch, smacked around by the orphanage workers, and teased mercilessly by most of our fellow orphans. By the time dinner came around, Naruto had a large bruise on his face that I knew would be gone the next morning and I’d gotten in trouble for assaulting the woman that had dared to lay a hand on my brother. I was assigned dishes duty, but it was worth it when I saw the way my victim’s left eye had swollen shut.

Naruto, I knew, was waiting back at our room for me, banned from dinner as per usual. So naturally I took advantage of the fact that I’d been let into the kitchen, never mind that it was because I’d been told to scrub plates until my knuckles bled, though I did that too. As the dirty dishes moved along, I snatched unfinished food off of them. A untouched roll here, a cold chicken leg there, and soon I had enough food to make up for the starvation both of us had been put through that day.

I squeaked out a farewell to the workers left in the room, who responded with glares and muttered curses, before scampering away. It was dark outside, and I knew it was well past our official bedtime. When I opened the door to our room, it creaked and alerted Naruto to my presence. He was crouched on his bed, cradling his lit candle close to keep out the dark in our window-less room. Sometime I would have to find a lightbulb to replace our shattered one.

“Hey, Nato.” I offered up a grin and shut the door tightly. “Sorry that it took me so long, but I got us somethin’.”

He blinked, shuffling aside so I could join him on his small bed. “What?”

I reached into my pockets and pulled out my prizes—two rolls, a chicken leg, and a half-eaten baked potato. “Hungry?” I asked.

In response, he snatched up one of the rolls and shoved it in his mouth. I took the potato and watched as he devoured the food, eating my own meal slowly. He ate the rest of the bread and hesitated over the chicken. “Rai?”

“Eat.”

As he shrugged and began tearing into the chicken, I frowned at the splotchy purple and yellow marring his jawline. The poor light from the low-burning candle only made it look worse and I clenched my fists. He blinked, dropping the bone on the floor and licking his fingers. “Rai?”

“Don’t wor—”

The candle sputtered and died.

Naruto’s reaction was both instant and expected. With a shriek of fear, the little boy threw himself at me, knocking the candle over in the process. Hot wax spilled across my skin and I resisted a hiss as I felt the burn. But I held Naruto tight in my chubby kid arms and kicked the candle away with my foot. “Hey, Nato, I’m right here.”

“Know that,” he muttered. But as the wind outside blew harshly against the building, whistling through the walls, he pressed against me and clutched my shirt desperately. “Scared.”

“I know. And that’s okay. It’s okay to be scared, sometimes.” I began running my hands through his golden hair, staring into the black around us. Unlike him, I enjoyed the dark. I always had in my last life. It was warm, comforting, and nothing that I thought to be afraid of.

“R-rai?”

“Yes?”

“Sing?”

I was still surprised every time he asked me to. The songs I sang to him were from my old life, and they didn’t ever sound quite right when I translated them to Japanese. But Naruto never seemed to care. “An old one or a new one?”

He thought about it for a moment, leaning against me. I was struck by how _light_ he was. Yes, he was a just a toddler. But even toddlers had _some_ weight. “New.”

I thought through all the possible songs in my head and settled against the wall so I could hold him firmly. “Alright, let me think for a sec.” Most of the songs I knew weren’t ones that would typically be sung to a three year old, but I didn’t really care. I knew them well and they seemed to satisfy Naruto, and that was enough.

_“Weep for yourself, my man,_

_You'll never be what is in your heart_

_Weep, little lion man,_

_You're not as brave as you were at the start_

_Rate yourself and rake yourself_

_Take all the courage you have left_

_And waste it on fixing all the problems that you made in your own head.”_

I could feel Naruto shifting in my arms and I softened my voice as I continued, not wanting to wake him up if he was falling asleep.

_“But it was not your fault but mine_

_And it was your heart on the line_

_I really—”_

I caught myself and quickly censored the song for his innocent ears.

_“—messed it up this time_

_Didn’t I, my dear?_

_Didn’t I?_

_Tremble for yourself, my man,_

_You know that you have seen this all before_

_Tremble, little lion man,_

_You'll never settle any of your scores_

_Your grace is wasted in your face,_

_Your boldness stands alone among the wreck_

_Now learn from your mother or else spend your days biting your own neck.”_

I rubbed circles on his back with my chubby hands, listening as his breathing evened out.

_“But it was not your fault but mine_

_And it was your heart on the line_

_I really messed it up this time_

_Didn’t I, my dear?_

_Didn’t I, my dear?”_

It was silent after I finished and I wondered if by some miracle he’d actually gone to sleep quickly for once. But I was wrong.

“That’s a sad song,” he whispered.

“It is, isn’t it?” I hummed momentarily in response. Maybe I should stay away from the darker ones. “Alright, I’ll sing one more, okay?”

“‘kay.”

_“Twinkle, twinkle, little star.”_

That one was safe, right?

* * *

 

Two months after we arrived at the orphanage, I had finally gotten up the courage to address my epiphany from our birthday. So while Naruto was asleep, I sat up and tried to meditate. I’d never done it before, though sitting still hadn’t really ever been a problem for me. I closed my eyes, rested my hands on my crossed legs, and tried to figure out how in the world I could get inside my own head.

When I blinked again, I wasn’t staring out at my room. Instead, I was . . . in ANBU Headquarters again? Curiously, I got to my feet—I was still in my child body—and glanced around. It was dark and even though this was the room Naruto and I had grown up in, it was empty. No cribs, no toys, no chairs. Ignoring the chill that sent up my spine, I walked out, noting that there were no actual doors. Once in the hall, I glanced both ways in an attempt to figure out where to go.

The sound of voices caught my attention. More than that, it was the sound of _English._ My head snapped up and I stared at the smoke drifting above my head, listening to the noise. None of it was distinguishable, but it was painfully real and . . . nostalgic. I reached up, straining on my toes, and brushed my fingers through the mist.

Instantly, I jerked back as the rush of memories and emotions shocked my system. Trembling and with sobs choked back, I forced myself to turn away. Far down the hallway, past door after door, I could see a warm glow. I set my sights on it and began to walk. It took longer than it should have, and I wondered if time was different in my mind. But finally I reached what _should_ have been the ANBU prison—a place I’d stumbled upon once and then never again. But instead of various individual cells, it consisted of one huge wall of bars. And behind that, well . . . .

I’d be lying if I said the Kyuubi wasn’t daunting.

I’d never seen a living creature so _huge_ before, not to mention that he radiated power that stung my sensing abilities. But then I frowned, noting the way his fur was darker than I had expected. I thought the Kyuubi was more orange. Hadn’t . . . .

Oh.

Well, that was interesting development. I had the Kyuubi’s Yin side, then? The part Minato had originally sealed inside himself? Did Naruto have the Yang half? That certainly presented dozens of different opportunities, if that was what had actually happened.

I was snapped out of my musings when I realized that the fox, even curled up as he was, was staring at me with a slitted, red eye. I blinked. “Oh, you’re awake.” It only occurred to me _after_ I said it that there might have been better openings. But I shrugged and dismissed that thought. First impressions weren’t going to do anything here because I knew he’d already formed his opinion of me—I was human, so therefore I was a flesh bag that was far below him and was doing him absolutely no favors by keeping him locked up. My best shot would be perseverance. That could work, though. I was stubborn.

The fox rumbled, the sound low and gravelly, and pushed himself up. He towered over me, the immense size difference intimidating even when we were separated by prison bars. His claws clicked against the stone floor and he stared down at me, eyes narrowed. **“Human,”** he growled, confirming my thoughts about his pre-made perception of me. **“I did not expect a brat to find me so quickly.”**

“I’m not a normal brat,” I said, shrugging. “I figure I better introduce myself, ne? I’m Uzumaki Mirai. My brother is Uzumaki Naruto, and we’re both gonna go to the Academy in a few years. I wanna be an ANBU. I like stories and chocolate, and I dislike disloyalty and people who are too blind to face reality. My hobbies are reading, writing, dancing, and training, though right now all I’m really doin’ is stretches since I don’t know much else.” I beamed up at him. “I hope that the two of us can become friends. Your turn!”

The suspicion never left his face, and now it twisted into a look of clear distaste. **“Just what do you think you’re doing, brat? I could rip you apart in a moment.”**

I shrugged, taking in the fact that he seemed more tired than I expected. Maybe the sealing took a lot out of him—I was sure it wasn’t exactly invigorating to be torn in two. “Well, we’re stuck together. I don’t really want you inside of me, and you don’t really want to be here, but neither of us have a choice. For me to get rid of you, I’d have to die or something, and I don’t wanna do that. And if you got out, you’d be attacked by every shinobi in Konoha. Good luck avoiding getting sealed again.”

He huffed sharply. **“You know more than a parasite your size should.”**

I smiled, hoping it came across as clever. Given my childish features, I probably failed. “Hmm, I guess I should start over, ne? Yeah, I’m Uzumaki Mirai. But before that, I was Sophie Cooper, a sixteen-year-old who only knew about this entire world as a story.” I smirked up at him, knowing my chubby cheeks probably ruined that too. “I know some things that are gonna happen. Me being here screws stuff up anyway. I say go big or go home. What do you say, huh?”

 **“I’m not sure what you’re asking for.”** The red in his gaze suddenly seemed much more menacing. **“Nor what you’re offering in return.”**

“Well, lets put it this way.” I held up my hand. “I would get friendship from you, someone that I can talk to without having to worry about you blabbing to anyone.” I folded one finger down. “I would get to use your chakra when the time comes. I could train with it, learn how to use it so that we could work as a team. That will help me in everything I want to achieve—both being an ANBU and protecting those precious to me.” Another finger down. “You would have to tell me stories, because you’re old and all that crap and I bet you know a lot of stories. I freakin’ love stories.” I pushed down another finger.

The Kyuubi looked ready to protest, but I locked my gaze on him and continued.

“I’d have someone who would know the truth about me—the whole truth, reincarnation and everything—and who could help me make the hard decisions when the time comes.” Another finger. “And I need to be strong if I’m going to achieve my goals, and not just strong with your chakra. I need you to teach me.” The last finger.

**“I see . . . . These are your demands, but what are you offering me, flesh bag?”**

“Friendship,” I said simply, to start with. “A certain amount of freedom. Like I said, I can’t let you out since that would screw both of us over, but I’m sure we can figure out some way to let you see a little bit of what’s going on outside. I’m giving you opportunity to help me dismember those who get in my way and try to hurt those precious to me.” I grinned. I’d always been . . . violent. Blood had never really bothered me, as long as there was some reason behind it beyond just wanting to hurt someone. What might have seemed wrong to others had always been a bit more . . . morally ambiguous to me. Oh, I could understand and pretend to hold the moral high ground—I had done it more than once in my past life—but when push came to shove, I always was a selfish, manipulative liar.

After all, I never said I was a good person.

“So you’ve got a little bit of danger, blood, and guts in there,” I said, shrugging. “And there’s something else.” I straightened, crossing my arms. “I know who the puppet-master is, the one sitting backstage and pulling all the strings.”

His lips curled back to expose his fangs. **“Uchiha Madara.”**

I nodded, not smiling. “Exactly. And if you agree to this deal, our goal is to kill him.”

He watched me carefully for a moment before nodding. **“Very well, I accept this . . . _deal_ of yours. And just where do you propose we start?”**

I sat down, eying the tag on the bars. “I won’t take that off until I know I can trust you, and until I have enough trust from superior officers.”

He considered that for a moment. **“Reasonable. I will hold you to that promise, fleshbag. I will avoid eating you for the time being.”**

Shrugging, I accepted that. “Sounds legit.”

He settled back down on the ground, limbs sagging with clear exhaustion. Yes, it was obvious he was still healing from being sealed so violently. But he shot me a curious glance at the foreign word. **“Lee-jit?”** he asked, twisting it strangely.

I waved a dismissive hand. “Something from my past life. I mean _that sounds sensible_. Come my chunin promotion, I’ll remove the seal, which will allow us both more power and more freedom. But that’s far in the future. I’ll be twelve, thirteen, at the least when that happens.” I rested my hands in my lap and considered our options. “No, for now, we should focus on more pressing matters. I need training—I have no wish to graduate early, since that would distance me from Naruto too much, but I need to be strong. Eventually, I want to learn fuuinjutsu. I’ll need to befriend the important players, also, but making friends has never been trouble for me.”

He was still watching me, but said nothing.

“As for you, I’m still waiting for your introduction. I know your name, but it wouldn’t exactly be polite for me to use it until you tell me yourself.” I smiled. “Name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams, whatever. Go!”

He eyed me for a moment before begrudgingly holding up his side of the agreement. **“My name is Kurama, but don’t get all comfy using it. I don’t like you. I don’t like anything.”**

“Aw, c’mon, you can do better than that!”

He glared at me. **“I dislike humans, especially Uchiha Madara. I can’t exactly have hobbies when I’m sealed up in a despicable fleabag like you. And my dream is to tear that red-eyed coward apart.”**

Well, this relationship was a work in progress, I supposed.

* * *

 

“Rai,” Naruto said quietly. “Why do the other kids hate us?”

I didn’t look up from the Japanese alphabet I was drawing in the dirt. “I wish I knew,” I responded absently.

He sighed heavily and then slumped against me, causing me to blur the lines I’d just drawn. I glanced at him and then wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I’m sorry, Nato. But don’t worry, we’ll make some friends eventually.” I glanced out at the orphanage yard at the game of dodgeball a group of kids were organizing. I lit up. “Hey, why don’t we ask if we can play?” I jumped to my feet.

Naruto hesitantly stood up as well. “I dunno. What if they laugh?”

“It’ll be fine.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the group. “Can we play?”

The kids flinched away from us at the sound of my voice. One kid’s face twisted. She shoved the ball into young girl’s hands and the six-year-old marched right up to me. “Hell no, you little bitch! The Matron says you two are bad and that you gotta stay ‘way from us!”

“But—”

“We’re gonna go play somewhere else!” With that said, she spat at me and then led the group away. I rubbed my eyes, wincing.

“Um . . . . You can play with _us,”_ a small voice said.

I blinked rapidly to clear the stinging in my eyes and narrowing in on the painful chakra signature of the child that had spoken. It was the girl who was still holding the ball, smiling shyly at us. For some odd reason, the rosy-cheeked brunette looked familiar. Behind her stood a nervous looking boy with his long hair pulled back into a braid. His chakra was far fainter than hers.

“Really?” Naruto asked, lighting up.

“Yeah, I mean . . . . We can’t play dodgeball with just us, but we can play foursquare.”

“Four . . . square?” my brother asked, squinting.

So that began an hour long game, and it was the first time I’d seem Naruto smile that widely since coming to the orphanage. When we were done, the four of us collapsed beneath the shade of one of the trees in the yard, breathing heavily. And then I decided to finally introduce myself. “I’m Uzumaki Mirai. This is my brother Naruto.”

The girl giggled. “I’m Tenten!”

The boy perked up. “I’m Rock Lee!”

I pulled up short, staring at them. What were the chances of—

“Dinner time!”

We all leapt to our feet and ran towards the front door. The Matron stopped us short and pointed at me and Naruto. “You two are on dishes duty.”

My eyes widened. “B-but we’re hungry!”

“Yeah! We wanna eat, dattebayo! You didn’t give us lunch.”

She crouched down to our level. “Dishes. Duty. Got it?” she growled lowly.

I gulped. “H-hai. We understand.” I grabbed Naruto’s hand and, ignoring the shocked looks on Tenten and Lee’s faces, dragged him inside.

* * *

 

“Watcha doin’?” Naruto asked me curiously, hanging backwards over the side of the bed.

I glanced back at him and giggled. “I’m writing.”

“Writing?” He frowned and turned onto his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows. “Like . . . how you’re teachin’ me to read?”

“Kinda. It’s like . . . reverse reading.”

He stared at me blankly.

I waved a hand at him and then turned back to the paper and pen I’d snuck out of the Matron’s room earlier that week. “Never mind.”

Someone knocked on the door and I froze. No one ever knocked on our door. That thought threw me into a panic and I shoved the paper and pen away under my bed, hoping not to be caught with it. “Yeah?” I called.

The door opened and I found myself looking up at a man I’d come to dislike steadily over the years. “Hokage-sama,” I murmured.

“Konichiwa.” He smiled. “I hear from the Matron that you two have been excellent.”

I held back a frown, but Naruto just looked confused.

The Hokage smiled. “Happy birthday, you two. I was thinking about taking you two out to eat, today. Where would you like to go?”

His question forced me to think of which restaurant was the least likely to spill poison into our food. Naruto was bouncing on his feet impatiently beside me with all the energy of an over-excited four-year-old. “Ne . . . . Can we get some ramen?”

And that was how Naruto and I went to Ichiraku’s for the first time.

I glanced across the menu, reading the options aloud as I went since Naruto could hardly read at his current age. When I finished, I glanced at him. “Well, Nato?”

“Miso,” he finally concluded, nodding.

“Salt for me, please.” I turned towards the man standing behind the counter before glancing towards the girl attending the cooking food on the stove. She stood atop a stool in order to reach it all properly and she couldn’t be older than six, but her identity was undeniable. Little Ayame, who when we’d first arrived had chirped about how pretty my hair was before scurrying away to make more noodles. She was adorable.

Teuchi nodded, offering both of us a bright smile as he moved away to complete our order. The Hokage turned to the two of us and produced two packages. “I see you still have my gifts from before,” he said, glancing at my beanie, “and so I spent some time trying to find other things you’d enjoy.”

Like every time before, I waited for Naruto to open his first. He eagerly tore away at the wrappings, letting out a squeal of delight when he uncovered the frog wallet. Judging by the click of metal, it had money in it as well. Then he glanced towards the second object of the package and began gushing over the obnoxiously orange jacket. I raised an eyebrow, but didn’t interrupt him. Finally he paused in his babbling to turn his excited attention to me. “Your turn, Rai! Open!”

“Hai, hai,” I murmured, peeling away at my own gift. I blinked at the gifts inside. Like my brother, I’d received a wallet with some money. Unlike his, however, mine was not a frog. Actually, it wasn’t an animal at all. It seemed the Hokage had taken into account my advanced maturity and I’d been provided with a simple black and white striped wallet. It sat atop a hard-backed novel—oh, I’d forgotten how good it felt to hold a real _story_ in my hands—and my gaze froze on the title. _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi._

I flipped it open, skimming my gaze across the text. “Arigato,” I murmured.

“Yeah, thanks, Jiji, dattebayo!” And with that, he swiveled around and dug in to the food that had just been delivered. I watched his eyes widened as he seemed to realize that he’d just discovered the most delicious food ever. “This is the best thing _ever,_ Rai! Eat it!”

And so I did. And I listened as Naruto gushed over his gifts and the ramen and asked about being a ninja. And I listened half-heartedly at the Hokage’s response—not all of it was a lie, exactly, but he left out the darker side of the life, the bloody side. And Naruto, being idealistic as he was, painted his image of the shinobi life as a heroic quest of sorts.

And I was ashamed when I found I didn’t have the resolve to break him of that illusion.

* * *

 

 **“You’re getting faster at entering your mindscape,”** Kurama begrudgingly admitted, watching me through slitted eyes as I skipped into the room.

I beamed at him. “Arigato, Kyuubi! Ready to get to work?”

He made an odd rumbling sound. **“What work?”**

“Meditation. Chakra. Strengthening our relationship so we can talk when I’m _not_ in my mindscape.” I stopped in front of the bars and crossed my arms “We have a deal, remember.”

He sighed heavily. **“Fine. I’ll help you unlock your chakra.”**

A grin cracked my face. “Thank you!” I dropped down and crossed my legs— _criss-cross applesauce,_ a part of my mind giggled. “Alright, what do I do?”

He glared at me one more time before settling down on his paws again. **“Close your eyes.”**

I did so, drumming my hands on my knees for a moment before forcing myself to still.

**“So I know that normally you can sense other people’s chakra. What’s going to happen is that you’re going to try to sense your own and you’re going to pull at it. You’ll have to do this either once a day for about a week, or for several hours at once—”**

“Let’s just do it all at once!” I said, my eyes popping open.

He growled. **“Eyes closed. Now this is how it’ll work. I’ll help guide your senses by having you focus yourself on my chakra as I try to filter more of it into your chakra. Once you have ahold of your chakra, not mine, you’ll pull it towards yourself as much as you can before you have to let it go. And then you’ll do it again. Do you understand?”**

I grinned up at him. “Yeah! Hit me with your best—”

**“Eyes closed!”**

I squeaked, closing my eyes again. Then, at his direction, I focused in on the feel of his chakra. It was difficult to follow as it moved, but I kept working at it. Finally I managed to differentiate between his and mine. I grabbed ahold and pulled.

**“Again.”**

So I followed his instructions for hours before I could find and access my chakra in mere seconds without his help. I blinked the tiredness away from my eyes and grinned up at him. “Did I do it?”

He nodded. **“Hai.”**

I sighed in relief. “Thank . . . thank you. Man, I’m _tired.”_

He chuckled, and the sound was more ominous than I liked. **“I’m afraid I didn’t mention . . . . Doing this all at once usually results in severe chakra exhaustion.”**

I stared at him, anger welling up inside of me, also with resignation. I had known, after all, that this relationship would take some work. I tried to answer, the words forming in my mouth. But the world had started to spin around me and I slowly slumped down to the concrete, feeling the cold against my cheek. “Kyu . . . bi.”

I saw black.

* * *

 

My dream was interrupted by a strange beeping sound, like that of an alarm, or maybe of a bomb about to go off. I groaned and fireworks went off in my head, booming and ringing in my ears. It was a struggle to open my eyes with what felt like lead weighing them down, and the light in the room blinded me. I winced back, the pain in my head shrieking. Habitually, I reached out for Naruto’s chakra and relief settled inside me when I felt his wild energy beside me. I turned my head to the side and smiled, seeing Naruto’s bright and blurry figure curled into my side, fast asleep.

“N-nato?” I rasped, my throat raw and scratchy. I reached out and ruffled his golden hair. “Nato.”

He jerked, a whimper making its way out of his mouth. Then he moved and stared up at me blankly. It took a moment for my consciousness to register. Then his eyes welled up with tears and he threw himself at me. “Rai! You scared me so bad!”

I wrapped my arms around him, my muscles aching. I closed my eyes, thankful to block out the burning light. “Gomen, gomen.”

He shuddered and I heard a strangled sob. “D-don’t do that,” he said quietly. “P-please.”

I huddled over him and buried my face in his hair. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“The . . . the doctor said your cha-ka-ra got tired.” His little fingers dug painfully through the hospital gown and into my skin. He began to cry.

I tightened my hold on him. “I’m sorry.”

I listened to him and his tears until finally they subsided and he slumped tiredly onto me. I laced my fingers in his hair. I had someone to talk to.

When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in front of a familiar cage. “Kyuubi, we need to talk.”

The fox shifted and one eye opened to stare at me. **“What do you want, human?”**

I sat down and folded my legs under me. “I get that you don’t like me, and that’s fine. And technically, you didn’t break our deal by not telling me about the chakra exhaustion. However . . . .” I tapped my fingers on my knee as I thought. “Not communicating such things to me fully in the future will only hurt our hunt for Madara in the long run. I’m not asking you to like me, or even to trust me, but I am asking you to work with me. To do that, you need to share information like that, and you need to make sure you _help_ me in my training and don’t hold me back, understand?”

 **“You’re quite loud for someone so weak,”** he muttered.

“Kyuubi—”

**“If I agree, will you shut up and leave?”**

I snapped my mouth shut and eyed him for a moment. Then I nodded. “Yes.”

**“Good. I agree. Now get out of here.”**

I quirked an eyebrow and rose to my feet. “Alright. When I get out of the hospital, I’ll come back and we’ll get some more work done. Sound good?”

He grunted, his eyes closing.

“Right . . . .” And then I opened my eyes back in the real world, stinging light drilling into my head. I resisted the urge to scream and instead I squinted at the man sitting next to my bed. “Hokage-sama?”

He smiled. “Mirai-chan, I’m glad to see that you’re doing well. You were brought in yesterday with a serious case of chakra exhaustion.”

I nodded slowly, carding through Naruto’s hair and listening to his quiet breathing. “Okay.”

“Mirai-chan . . . . I am aware that you’re a very smart young girl, but normally children your age don’t use chakra yet. Can you tell me how you managed to use enough to reach chakra exhaustion?”

“Well,” I started hesitantly, making sure to up-play my innocent child act. It was even harder to do with the piercing light burning my eye sockets. “There’s kids at the orphanage who go to the Academy. And they don’t talk to me, but I saw ‘em practicing with chakra the other day and heard ‘em say how they learned to use it. So I tried it.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Well? Can you access your chakra now?”

“Uh . . . . I think so?”

“Show me.” He held out his hand, palm up. “Gather some chakra in your hand and expel it so I can see.”

I blinked at him, head aching, and wondered if I was going to end up in trouble. So I held up my hand and slowly reached for my chakra and pulled it towards my palm. Once I’d gathered enough, I carefully released it through my skin. It felt odd, almost like cold air. My eyes widened at the pale blue glow that surrounded my fingers for just a moment be dissipating. I stared up at the Hokage, coils aching. “Was that . . . chakra?”

“Hai. Someday, you’ll learn to keep ahold of your chakra so that it’ll stay together in that glow. It’s excellent for practice.” He eyed me for a moment. “I’m sure you’ll master it in no time.” He rose to his feet. “You’re free to go back home. I do believe your friends Tenten and Lee are here to walk with you. And if I remember correctly, your clothes are on the counter in the bathroom.” He waved towards said room. Then he moved to the door. “I hope to see you again soon, Mirai-chan. I just hope that it’s not in a hospital next time.”

“Um, arigato, Hokage-sama.”

And then he left.

I was able to enjoy a total of three seconds of silence before the door banged open. “Mirai!” Lee and Tenten yelled, tumbling inside.

Naruto jerked awake and squeaked, toppling to the ground. I giggled and then pushed myself to the edge of the bed. “Hi, you two. I’ll get dressed and then we can go.”

I winced at the cold floor and then hurried to the bathroom. I could hear Lee desperately asking me to hurry up and Tenten making sure Naruto was okay. I wiggled into my mini-sized shinobi pants, my loose purple shirt, and the old, worn sneakers that were a size too big. Hand-me-downs from another kid at the orphanage. With that done, I turned to look in the mirror. My red hair was a mess and really needed to be cut. But the day the Matron trusted me with scissors would be the day the world ended. So instead I ran my hands through my locks to comb them and then tucked it all into my beanie.

I raced out into the room and then into the hall, yelling over my shoulder, “C’mon, slowpokes!”

The laughed and raced after me. On our way out of the hospital, Naruto and I received several angry glares from the staff, but none of them stopped us. We finally burst out into the air and I took a deep breath, trying not to wince at the loud chakra signatures. It was getting easier to be around them, and hopefully that meant that it would eventually be easy to not react to powerful jutsu.

“Let’s go to the park!” Tenten chirped, grinning.

I blinked at her. “Don’t we hafta go back to the orphanage?”

She shrugged. “We can go back before bedtime. I wanna play!” Then she held out a roll of bread. “Eat. I know you’re hungry.”

I took the roll and hesitated for only a second before devouring it. “Alright, let’s go! Where is it?”

Lee and Tenten took our hands and dragged us through the streets, babbling on and on about how much fun the park was. When we finally reached it, we were not disappointed. “Cool!” Naruto shouted, running instantly for the merry-go-round.

Unfortunately, the parents there weren’t as excited about it as we were.

A mother next to the jungle gym saw the whisker marks on our cheeks first and her lips curled into a snarl in response. She instantly moved forward. “Daichi! We’re going. I won’t have you playing with _them.”_

Naturally, that started a flood of other parents collecting their children and leaving until it was just the four of us left. At least that was what I thought until I saw a lonely kid over on the swings, watching us curiously. I grinned and bounded over to him. “Hiya! I’m Uzumaki Mirai. Do you want to play tag with us?”

He stared at us with big grey eyes, his messy black hair sticking up in odd ways. I couldn’t figure out why he seemed so familiar. He blinked for a moment before nodding and grinning. I awww’d internally at his cuteness.

“Sure! I’m Uchiha Sasuke! Konichiwa.” He hopped off the swing and offered us a shallow bow.

I blinked at him, and that was when I realized that there was still another person at the park. My gaze flicked up to the bench behind the swing set, and that was the first time I ever set eyes on Uchiha Itachi. He was still young, probably only ten, and his stress lines were just barely there. He didn’t seem to even notice us, instead reading a thick, worn book. But it was undeniably him.

“I’m Uzumaki Naruto! This is Tenten, and that’s Lee. I’m it!”

And with that cry, the four of us scattered. Laughing loudly, I dashed away and ran up the slide, hiding as I watched my brother chase Sasuke. Then I glanced towards Itachi, who’d set his book aside and was instead watching the game with seeming apathy.

“Sasuke’s it!” Naruto squealed, diving under the playground for protection as the Uchiha took off after Tenten. Once she was tagged, the little boy darted away and my friend turned towards my hiding spot.

“I’m gonna get you, Mirai!” Giggling, she raced up the slide.

I leapt to my feet and clambered up the side of the playground’s tower. She raced after me. “You can’t hide up there!”

And then I jumped.

Naruto suddenly screamed in terror, and I belatedly registered that doing something so reckless in front of him might not have been such a good idea. But I hadn’t been following Kakashi’s training for years for nothing. I tucked my head and hit the ground in a harmless roll before jumping to my feet. “You can’t get me, Tenten!”

“Whoa!” a voice interrupted the game. “How’d you do that?”

I turned to find Sasuke standing behind me, grinning. I giggled. “Practice!”

“I wanna try!” And with that, he took off for the tower.

Panic hit me hard. “Wait, Sasuke-kun! You’re gonna get hurt!”

The moment he reached the top of the tower, he leapt off and I whimpered, hiding my face. But after a few seconds, I didn’t hear anyone screaming. I lowered my hands slowly and looked up to see that Itachi had Sasuke snugly in his arms, seeming to be talking to him quietly. I scrambled towards them. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for him to try—”

“Think nothing of it,” Itachi said calmly. “Sasuke knows now not to attempt something he hasn’t trained for. Your form was excellent. Don’t apologize for it.”

I blinked up at him. “Er . . . . Okay . . . .” Then I regained my senses. “Oh!” I bowed hurriedly. “I’m Uzumaki Mirai.”

He inclined his head to me, still holding Sasuke. “Uchiha Itachi. Thank you for playing with my brother, but I’m afraid we should go now in order to be home for dinner in time.”

“Oh . . . . Uh, it was fun playing, Sasuke-kun! Hope we can do it again!”

Itachi set his brother down and the two left, Sasuke waving at us over his shoulder with a giant grin. I watched them go for a moment before turning to my friends and brother. “We should probably get back.”

Tenten sighed. “Fine . . . . But we’ve gotta come here again, sometime!”

I shrugged. “Maybe.” Then I grabbed Naruto’s hand. “Race ya back!”

* * *

 

Training my chakra was difficult to do, and the difficulty increased with my worry of returning to the hospital with chakra exhaustion. I might have had more chakra than most kids my age, but I was only a child. I had my limits.

I closed my eyes and focused on my steady breathing and listened to the flow of my chakra. I’d tried to find a way to describe it over the weeks, and the most I had come up with was comparing it to swallowing hot chocolate and feeling the heat reach through my body. Except it spread through more than my abdomen, and I could sense it more clearly, and it was more definitely _not_ hot chocolate.

 **Stretch your coils,** Kurama directed, leading me step by step through the process like he’d come to do habitually over the past several months. We both knew my mind would wander too far away otherwise. It would probably fall off a cliff or something stupid like that if we let it run away on its own.

So I listened and did so, pooling some of my energy near the base of my stomach. I let it lazily rotate clockwise for a moment before I pushed it downwards, pulsing the energy through my legs and stretching it outwards. Then I pulled, dragging it back upwards and spreading it out across my torso. I pressed it to its limits, as far as it could go without actually expelling it from my body, and then thrust my chakra down my arms. I curled it through my fingers and then back through my wrists and upward until it was all concentrated around my collarbone. I hissed at the way my underused coils protested and pushed my chakra up into my head, rotating it around my skull and then back down my spine.

**Release.**

I breathed a sigh of relief and let the energy dissipate in my stomach again. And then I moved on to the next stage, this time spreading my senses out and sifting through the chakra signatures I could feel. Naruto was always the easiest to find, and I latched on to his first. To my left, though I couldn’t discern how far away. It was quiet, circulating slowly. He was asleep, then. I smiled.

**Focus.**

Grunting at that, I reached for the chakra signatures throughout the rest of the orphanage. I could only recognize three of them by their feel—Tenten, Lee, and the Matron. Lee was the farthest away, since he shared a room with a couple other boys in a small room at the front of the orphanage. Tenten was a little closer, but her signal was hard to find beneath those of the fifteen girls she shared a room with.

Being an adult, the Matron was the easiest to find. Her chakra pool was still small, which was a given since she was a civilian. But it was the largest out of most everyone in the orphanage.

Chakra signatures each had a unique feel to identify them, but it was difficult to learn them—almost like you might be able to tell that something is cursive, but it takes a lot of practice to read what the cursive actually says. Lee’s chakra was the smallest out of his age group and the closest thing I had found to the feel of his signal was the smell of spices, like the spices one might have found in an Indian market. Tenten’s chakra, however, felt like autumn leaves. Or perhaps freshly baked cookies. Unlike Lee’s chakra—which was nice in a way, but always made me feel like sneezing—her chakra was inherently comforting.

My friends’ signatures were far more pleasant than the Matron’s. Hers was cold and brittle, like frozen peanut butter that had been left out too long. I couldn’t help but wrinkle my nose when I located her somewhere to my left, probably in her room near the back of the orphanage.

**Practice the chakra light.**

I opened my eyes, blinking at the darkened room. I adjusted the way I was sitting and began rubbing feeling back into my foot. That brought to a scowl to my face. Why was it so hard to hold a seiza? When I’d taken martial arts in my last life, I’d found it easy to hold the position for a full three-quarters of an hour during meetings. Now, it was difficult to hold it longer than a few minutes. Cursing my childish body, I settled down, my toes curling when they came into contact with the floor again. I cleared my throat as quietly as I could without waking Naruto and lifted my hand.

Drawing chakra to one spot was becoming easier and I’d learned to do it faster. However, I still lacked proper control over the release, hence the chakra burns on both my palms. I gritted my teeth as the energy collected beneath my hurt skin, stinging it. I kept a careful hold on it as I pushed it out of my body. A soft glow illuminated my hand and I reign in my control, counting.

_3 . . . 4 . . . 5 . . . 6 . . ._

The light began to shake and I took a deep breath to collect myself, not letting go.

_17 . . . 18 . . . 19 . . . 20._

With a sigh of relief, I let the light go. That was a two second improvement on my last attempt, so at least I knew I was making progress. _When do you think I can start training in tree-walking?_ I asked.

I heard him grunt in the back of my mind. **When you can hold that light for thirty seconds.**

_Not too long, the—_

**Without trouble.**

I sighed. It was annoying, but he had a point. If I moved on before I was at least adequate at the chakra light, then it would just come back to bite me in the end. With a sigh I pushed myself up and moved over to the dresser, digging around for the bandages Tenten had requested and snuck to me when the Matron wasn’t looking. I wrapped my hands and ripped the bandage with my teeth, tucking the ends snugly in place.

With that done, I hunted through our things and located our last match. Making a mental note to swipe more, I lit our candle. A loud snort interrupting me and I froze, my gaze flicking over to Naruto. He rubbed his nose and turned over in his bed, still fast asleep. I let out a sigh and picked up the candle holder and _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi._ I settled on the floor in a seiza again and opened the book.

Teaching myself to read had started out as a difficult process, but, while it still had its rough spots, I was finding it easier and easier every day. Context clues, I had decided, were wonderful. Writing in Japanese was a different problem altogether, but I was advancing in that as well. I’d recently started teaching Naruto the alphabet, and I couldn’t help but envy how easily he was picking it up. But I supposed that the fact that he didn’t have to figure it all out on his own helped.

An hour later, I’d finally managed to finish the first chapter of the book—it was my third time through it, and I was already finding so many things I’d missed the first two times—and Naruto was beginning to stir. I got to my feet and blew out the candle before putting my book away. I rubbed the feeling back into my legs as I moved to the window and pulled open the curtains to let in the morning light.

“Rise and shine, Nato!”

He groaned, throwing a hand across his eyes. “Rai,” he whined. “I’m _tired.”_

I laughed and began going through my morning stretches and kata, the same routine Kakashi had taught to me so long ago. “I know, I know. But do _you_ know, Nato?”

He paused for a moment before moving his hand and squinting at me. “Wha?”

“Do you know what today is?”

He blinked. “Uh, no.”

“It’s our _birthday!”_ I grinned. Then I took a deep breath and reached for my toes. “We’re five!”

As I expected, he tumbled excitedly out of bed. “Happy birthday!” he cheered. Then he scrambled to join me in my stretches, something he’d started doing in the past couple of months. “Do ya think Jiji will be here?”

I shrugged. “Maybe.” I sank into my splits, something I was very proud of achieving. In my last life, I’d had the flexibility of an uncooked noodle. After a moment, I glanced to the side and saw Naruto struggling to do the same. I giggled. “Don’t push yourself too hard, Nato. You’ll get it eventually, but don’t try to hurt yourself.”

I led him through the rest of the routine and then sighed. “Alright. Let’s get dressed, okay?”

He followed me over to the dresser and took the clothes I gave him. “Do ya think we could go get ramen again?”

I glanced at him and headed towards the bathroom with my own clothes. “I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Like usual, we were early to breakfast. Today, however, the Matron was nowhere to be seen, so we scurried into the line before she could come and kick us out. The staff barely gave us more than a glare before shoving plates into our hands and waving us away. We moved over to a table and ate quietly as we waited for Tenten and Lee.

Halfway through our meal, we were joined by an unwelcome guest.

I looked up at the Matron who had taken the seat next to me. “Hai?”

She watched us coldly before speaking in a low voice only we could. “Listen here, you monsters, the Hokage wants to see you today for lunch. So this is what you’re going to do. You’re going to finish eating and then you’re going to leave and go meet him at the Tower. Do you understand?”

“Hai.”

“But we don’t know where the Tower is, dattebayo!”

“Well, you’ll just have to look for it, won’t you?” she snarled. Then she shoved herself to her feet, the action knocking the table off-balance for a moment, and stomped off.

I hesitated and then set down my chopsticks, my appetite gone. Naruto seemed to have the same idea, because he shoved his plate aside. I sighed and stood up. “We should probably go ahead and go, huh?”

He nodded and, hand in hand, we left the orphanage to go search for the Tower. “Where we gonna look, dattebayo?”

I worried my lip and tapped my fingers on my thigh as I thought. “Well, it’s probably tall, right? So if we get up high, we can probably see it!” With that thought, I ran forward, dragging him behind me.

Together we scrambled up the side of the tallest nearby building. I squinted in what I vaguely remembered the general direction of the Tower. “Aha! There it is!”

Our goal in mind, we spent the next hour dodging other pedestrians and turning around after meeting dead ends before finally we reached the Tower. Before I could stop him, Naruto marched inside. “We’re here to see Jiji!”

The desk chunin inside all paused and stared. I hurried after him, wincing at all the chakra signatures. “Um, Hokage-sama asked to see us,” I murmured, bowing to everyone in the room. “Uzumaki Mirai. This is my brother, Naruto.”

One of the chunin seemed to know what we were talking about, because he cleared his throat and stood. “Ah, yes. Right this way.”

We followed the young shinobi up the stairs and I hesitated. “So, uh, what’s _your_ name?” I asked him, tapping my thigh nervously.

He glanced down at me for a moment too long. And then he quite curtly said, “Kamano Saisu.”

I took the hint and snapped my mouth shut. I fell a bit behind and simply watched his long, sandy hair sway back and forth as he walked, studying the way it spiked up in odd places. He led us down a long, curved hallway and knocked on the ornate double doors. “Hokage-sama, the Uzumaki twins are here to see you.”

“Ah, do send them in!”

The chunin pushed open the door and motioned to us. Then he left down the hallway, not looking back even once. I stood still, staring into the office. The Hokage smiled at us, and I was barely able to see it over the stack of papers that reached up to his chin. Something pulled on my clothes and I looked back to find Naruto standing behind me, hands twisted into the hem of my shirt. I smiled at him and pried his fingers loose, slipping my hand into his.

“Come in, come in!”

I stepped forward, listening to Naruto shuffling his feet as he slowly followed. Once inside, I closed the door and turned to face the Hokage. “You wanted to see us?”

“Yes, yes. It is your birthday after all.” He turned away and opened one of his drawers. Then he withdrew two gift bags and set them on the edge of his desk. “These are for you two.”

As I moved forward to get them, Naruto asked, “Ne, Jiji, we gonna go get ramen again, dattebayo?”

The Hokage chuckled. “If that’s what you want to get for lunch, then of course. Does ramen sound good to you, Mirai-chan?”

I shot him an odd look. “Nato wants to go there,” I said, as if that answered his question. Then, ignoring the way the Hokage watched me curiously, I turned and pushed Naruto’s gift into his hands. “Open it.”

Grinning happily, he tore into the tissue paper with a vengeance. “Rai!” he cheered. “Look!” He pulled out a large coloring book and a box of crayons. I arched an eyebrow at the shinobi battle on the front cover, but decided his excitement was excuse enough. He dove back into the bag and pulled out a box of colored dominoes “Ooooooh! Lookie, Rai!” He shoved them towards me.

I giggled. “I see! I see!”

“Your turn!” He dumped his gifts back into the bag and cradled it to his chest as he watched me.

Like usual, I was less childish about opening my gift. I pulled the tissue paper aside and stared blankly at the gifts inside for a moment. “Kunai?” I asked curiously.

“Training kunai,” the Hokage corrected. “They’re metal, but they have blunt edges. They’re for practicing aim. You won’t be allowed live blades until you’re in the Academy next year, but I thought you would appreciate them.”

I nodded, thankful that I’d gotten something useful instead of a coloring book of my own. Setting the training braces of weapons aside, I reached and pulled out the second half of my gift. “A jump-rope?” Then a smile stretched across my face as the uses of a jump-rope in training set in. “Arigato, Oyaji.”

He smiled. “And I’ve got one other gift. After lunch, I’ll take both of you to the Village library and get you cards so that you can both check out books and enter the Academy student section.”

Naruto looked confused, cocking his head to the side. “Library?”

I lit up, straightening. “Academy student section? Books? Really?” I stared at him, starry eyed.

The old man chuckled. “Hai. Of course, ramen comes first. Are you two hungry?”

It wasn’t quite lunchtime yet, but neither of us had finished our breakfast. So in response to that, our stomachs growled loudly and I flushed. “Y-yeah.”

Laughing, he pushed himself to his feet. “Alright, let’s go ahead and go, then.”

I reached over for Naruto’s bag, which he’d somehow managed to tear in his excitement over his present. After transferring his gifts over to my bag, I stood as well. “‘kay!”

We followed him downstairs and then out onto the street. Naruto was still on a bit of the high from his gifts, and didn’t seem to even notice the poisonous glares shot in our direction as he skipped along beside us, humming. I laughed at his actions and then offered the offending civilians a blood-curdling scowl—or at least what I assumed was one. Given how chubby my five year old cheeks were, it wasn’t very scary.

“Ichiraku’s!” Naruto cheered, racing ahead. He leapt onto one of the stools. “Miso ramen!” he called out.

The Hokage and I reached him a moment later and I climbed onto one the chairs as well. “Salt ramen, please.”

Teuchi gave us one of those crinkly, old man smiles. “Ah, back after a long year away. Hello, you two.”

Naruto gaped up at him. “You ‘member?”

I muffled a snort. Of course Teuchi remembered. Not only were we the Kyuubi kids, but Naruto also ate enough ramen to feet thirty customers. As Teuchi moved away to help Ayame make the orders, the Hokage turned to me. “So, Mirai-chan, how is that chakra light coming?”

My lips tugged downward. “Working on it. I can hold it for twenty seconds, but it starts getting difficult to maintain at about thirteen.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Nevertheless, that’s impressive for a child your age with no outside training. You’re turning into a real prodigy, aren’t you?”

And then it hit me.

The chakra light, the kunai, the shuriken, the library. There was a reason I didn’t get regular toys like my brother, and it _wasn’t_ because the Hokage knew I wouldn’t think them practical. He knew that Naruto didn’t care about the library, but he was giving us access to the Academy student section? He didn’t care about what I liked or what I enjoyed. He cared about the fact that I was a smart, talented jinchuuriki. He cared about the fact that I would be useful to the Village, and nothing more.

With that, my dislike of the man skyrocketed from minor to extreme. I understood that he was Hokage, and that the Village was what he dedicated his life to. But was I really nothing more than him than a tool?

I smiled, not letting my expression betray the angst turning over inside of me. “Arigato, Hokage-sama. I try my best.”

Naruto ruled the conversation after that, spending most of his time talking about the games we played with Tenten and Lee, and the time we’d gone to the park and met Uchiha Sasuke. I finished my bowl of salt ramen, but found my appetite curiously gone for the second time that day and didn’t order another one. When we were done, the Hokage paid the large tab Naruto had racked up and then ushered us out of the ramen stand. I noted the path we were taking and then stared up at the large, ornate building we’d stopped in front of. “The library?” I asked curiously.

In answer, the Hokage just led us inside. I gaped around at row upon row of bookshelves that stretched backwards towards the back wall. As he led us to the front desk, he said, “The first floor is civilian access. The second floor is Academy student access. Don’t worry about any floors above or below that, because you won’t be able to access those.” He stopped at the desk and smiled at the woman there. “This is the head librarian, Kobayashi Junko. Junko-san, we’re here to get these two Level 2 cards.”

The greying woman leaned across the desk to look down at us. I braced myself for the hate that was sure to flicker in her eyes, and pulled up short when her thin lips pulled into a smile. “Konichiwa. Book lovers, are you? I can appreciate that.” She bustled around behind her desk, scribbling on paper and shuffling through drawers. At one point, Naruto groaned and sat down, slumping against the desk. I took the time to turn and stare at the bookshelves. _Books. Stories._ I felt like the Grinch, the sight of my old friends making my heart swell to three times its size.

“And here we are. A card for Uzumaki Mirai, and a card for Uzumaki Naruto.”

Naruto took his card and squinted at it, turning it over curiously. I took my with reverence, staring in awe at the kanji freshly inked across the top of the thick plastic. _Uzumaki Mirai, Level 2 clearance._ The rest of the card consisted of a string of numbers and an expiration date. I turned it over and stared at the blank white before my gaze was drawn up to the top right corner, where a very small seal was drawn.

Before I could investigate it further, the Hokage spoke again. “You two can return here any time. For now, however, we should probably get you back home.”

He ushered us out of the building and I cast a longing glance back over my shoulder before shuffling after him. Naruto studied his card for another minute before shoving it towards me. I smiled at him and took it, placing both of our cards in my pocket.

I mentally began to plan out the rest of our day. It couldn’t really be any later that maybe two, which meant we had about three hours until dinner, and seven until lights out. Knowing Naruto, he’d want to spend some time with his new toys, which would give me an opportunity to find a way to set up a target so I could practice with my kunai and shuriken. After dinner, we could grab Tenten and Lee and play a game of tag or foursquare. Somewhere along the line, I could probably drop out and do some more mediation under that sakura tree in the front yard.

“And here we are. I do hope you two enjoy your gifts.” The Hokage patted each of us on the head and left. I watched him go for a moment, knowing it would probably be another year before I saw him. I really didn’t care. So I slipped my hand in Naruto’s and marched across the yard to the front door. It slammed open and the Matron stared down at us.

“You two are going to pack up and leave. If I so much as glimpse your sorry little snouts here again, I’ll break your legs. Understand?”

I blinked up at her. Well, so much for my afternoon plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song in this chapter was Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons.
> 
> Answer: I have two pets, a cat and a dog. My cat is a flame lynx point, which is really just a fancy way of saying he’s half tabby/half Siamese with orange accents. His name is Leo and he’s the cutest thing. My dog is a Husky and Labrador Retriever mix and her name is Hamlette, after my favorite Shakespeare character.
> 
> Question: What Hogwarts house are you?
> 
> Today’s suggested fanfic: Cheaters Prosper by drakensis. (on FF.net)


	4. Chapter Three - Foudroyant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Foudroyant—adj. 1: striking as with lightning; sudden and overwhelming in effect 2: As of disease, beginning in a sudden and severe form]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: It’s in this chapter and the ones directly following it that things begin to pick up. Just one more year and the twins will be in the Academy. Just seven more years until graduation. Alright, now that I think about it, seven years really is a lot. Also, this chapter (at the very end, at least) introduces one of my favorite characters; he’s someone that doesn’t get nearly enough love or attention, and I’m really hoping to change that. Anyway, don’t forget to read and review!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: If I owned/created/lorded power over the world of Naruto, I think I would be able to draw more than just stick figures.
> 
> I give you the fourth installment of Samsaric.

It was official—we were homeless.

Packing up our things had barely taken ten minutes, not to mention that I had hurried due to the evil glared focused on me the entire time. Then the Matron had escorted us through the back entrance, reminded us of her leg-breaking threat, and had slammed the door in our faces. Naruto clung to my hand as we left the property. I tried to ignore the way I was steadily losing feeling in my fingertips and instead focused on the consequences of what had just happened. Then, even though I hated the idea, I settled on our only current option.

“We need to talk to Oyaji.”

So after several wrong turns, five new swear words I learned from some ever-so-kind civilians, and a total of twenty-three complaints from my brother about his feet hurting, we made it to the Tower. Only to have one of the desk chunin turn us away at the front door.

“The Hokage is busy.”

“But we really need to talk to him,” I said, keeping half of my attention on Naruto’s chakra signature. He’d chosen to wait on a bench outside with our things. “It’s important!”

“He’s in a very important meeting,” the chunin said, the annoyance in his gaze increasing. “You can’t speak to him right now.”

“Later?”

“He’s preparing for a journey to Suna tomorrow, so you won’t be able to speak to him until he comes back.”

I blinked slowly. A trip to Suna? “But I—”

“Leave.”

I snapped my mouth shut and frowned at him. “Fine.” I marched outside and snatched up our bags, crossing the straps across my chest to balance the weight. “C’mon, Nato. We gotta find somewhere to stay tonight.”

He moaned but followed obediently, saying nothing as I dug through our wallets and totaled up the money we had from our birthday a year ago. 30 ryo. A scowl etched its way across my face. That wouldn’t be enough to rent a hotel room even for a few minutes, let alone a week, which was the bare minimum of time until the Hokage’s return. I racked my head for ideas before resigning myself to what had to happen with a sigh.

“Let’s go find a cardboard box or something,” I muttered.

Naruto glanced sideways at me, his baby blue eyes glinting with curiosity. “What was that, Rai?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. Let’s, um . . . .” I turned in what I remembered to be the market district, which held both restaurants and stores. When we got there, we weaved through the crowd. Naruto stared around in wonder as I glanced down every alley we passed, looking for something that might serve as acceptable shelter. “Here.” I tugged on his hand and pulled him down an alley between a clothing store and a takeout shop.

Naruto glanced around, wrinkling his nose at the smell from the dumpster. “Rai, why are we here?”

I started stacking the old, damp boxes to form some semblance of a roof so that we’d be relatively protected. “We can’t talk to Oyaji, we can’t go back to the orphanage, and we can’t rent a hotel room. So we’re going to have to stay here.”

He snapped his gaze to me. _“Here?”_

I nodded, gagging at the smell from the garbage. “Just until we can talk to Oyaji.” I sat down and began digging through our bags. “Here, you color, okay? I’m going to get us some food.” I snatched up my wallet. I didn’t walk too far away, making sure that I could still sense my brother’s shining chakra. I entered the grocery store across the street, walking right past the front counter and towards the bread. Something snatched at the back of my shirt and I found myself tossed backwards. I stumbled and fell onto my rear. “Hey, what—” I looked up and snapped my mouth shut, meeting the angry gaze of the store clerk who was leaning over me.

He jabbed a finger harshly at one of my whisker marked cheeks. “I won’t have none of you little _monsters_ running through my store, understand? Get!” He threw the door open and his foot snapped out against my side. I whimpered and scrambled out onto the street.

Huddling outside the door, I tried to calm the involuntary trembling in my limbs. I thumbed a finger across my marked cheeks. Well, desperate times called for desperate measures, after all.

* * *

 

Stealing was an art. It was difficult, too easy to get caught. I had more than enough encounters with my angry victims. It was, however, plenty of motivation to do the job quickly, cleanly, and without leaving any evidence behind.

I considered myself a pro within a week.

Even though our so-called ‘house’ was dirty, wet, and didn’t particularly smell good, it became our home base. We settled in a routine that was similar to the one we’d had at the orphanage, but also different in glaringly obvious ways. I still started my day off earlier than Naruto, meditating and training before waking him up. We’d work through our stretches and kata together and then I’d spend a good half hour teaching him how to read and write. By the time we were done with that, our stomachs would growl loudly, and that was where the similarities stopped.

Naruto would, by my direction, continue practicing his reading. I, however, would find a mark, swipe that day’s money, and return to our base. After correcting him where he was wrong, I would uncover what I had dubbed as my ‘disguise kit.’ In reality, it was just makeup brushes, concealer, and a cheap mirror all shoved together in a cosmetic bag I’d stolen a few days before. The first day I had covered my whisker marks, it had taken me an hour to do it properly. But due to my experiences with makeup in my previous life, I quickly had that time down to less than three minutes.

With my distinguishing Kyuubi marks hidden, I would tuck my crimson hair up into my beanie and march right into the grocery store and buy whatever we needed to eat for that day. After that, our routine was looser. Sometimes I would spend more time teaching him, others I would concentrate on meditation and chakra training. Today, however, was different than that.

I wiped off the makeup on my cheeks with the same dirty rag I’d been using all week. “Hey, Nato, it’s been a week. So we should go to the Tower and see if Oyaji is back.”

He looked up from the picture of the Valley of the End that he was coloring. “Jiji?”

“Yep.” I gathered our things into our bags and slung them over my shoulders. Then I held my hand out to him. “We’ll come back later, okay?

He nodded and took my hand, skipping alongside me as we made our way to the Tower. Just like last time, he waited outside with our things while I went inside. I glanced around the room of chunin before I spotted a familiar head of long, spiky hair. “Kamano-san!” I cheered, bounding up to him. “Is Hokage-sama back, yet?”

He stared blankly at me for a moment. “No . . . .”

My heart dropped and I sighed. “Ah, okay.” Then I cocked my head to the side. “You were here at lunchtime last time too. Do you always work during lunchtime?”

He grunted. I took it as a yes.

“That’s sad. Don’t you get hungry?”

He shrugged.

I mused on that for a moment. “Do you like ramen?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I guess.”

“Cool! I like ramen too.” With that, I skipped out of the Tower. “C’mon, Nato, Oyaji isn’t back yet.”

The next day was similar, right up to the point where we started off to the Tower. “Do you want to get ramen?”

He looked up from the bag he was packing. Then his eyes lit up. “Ramen? I wanna get ramen, dattebayo!”

I giggled and patted him on the head, noting awkwardly that I was actually taller than him, if barely. “Alright, then, let’s go!”

We made our way to Ichiraku’s and climbed up onto the stools. “One salt and one miso, please, Teuchi-san.”

The man beamed at us. “Ah, two of my favorite little customers. Coming right up.”

While we waited, I turned Naruto’s attention to me as I traced kanji out for him on the counter. He frowned in concentration, trying to do the same. I giggled when he messed up for the sixth time and crossed his arms, pouting. “It’s alright, Nato, you’ll get it.”

“One salt and one miso!”

I breathed in the smell of the delicious food before slurping it down almost as quickly as Naruto. He hopped down, but I turned to Teuchi. “Can I have a salt ramen to go, please?” I asked, counting out the money and setting it on the bar.

“Of course.”

It took only a moment for him to whip it together, then he packed it up in a box and handed it to me. “There you go, Mirai-chan.”

“Arigato!” I jumped down and took Naruto’s hand. With that done, we started off for the Tower. I slung off our bags and set them on the bench. “I’ll be out in a little while, okay? Wait here and color.”

He nodded and I moved inside. “Kamano-san!” I chirped, skipping over to him. I set the box of ramen on his desk and pushed it towards him. “Is Hokage-sama back yet?”

“No.” He sniffed at the aroma coming from the box curiously. “What’s that?”

I beamed up at him. “I brought you ramen, Kamano-san.”

“Why?” he asked, pulling it towards himself and opening it up.

“I thought you’d be hungry.”

He didn’t say anything, pulling apart the chopsticks and digging into his meal. I stood still, waiting for him to finish. When he was done, he set the styrofoam cup back in the box and wrinkled his nose at me. “Kami, you smell. When was the last time you took a bath?”

I realized that he was right—Naruto and I hadn’t washed up since we were at the orphanage. But I didn’t let him see that it bothered me. Instead I beamed at him and snatched up the box. “I’ll see you later, Kamano-san!”

I tossed the box in the trash as I left and stepped outside, instantly snatching up the bags. “Alright, let’s go, Nato!”

That afternoon, I swiped more money and bought soap, two towels, two new sets of clothes, and a pair of scissors. I packed those things into our bags with everything else and pulled Naruto to his feet. “C’mon.”

He blinked at me curiously. “Where are we going?”

“We’re going to go get clean,” I told him. The bewildered look those words earned me made me laugh and I pulled him down the street. Before long, we found the more forested area of the village. I followed my nose to the part of Naka River that flowed through Konoha. “Here!”

Naruto cocked his head to the side. “What is it?”

“This is a river,” I told him, kneeling down and unpacking our things. “Get undressed. We’re gonna take a bath.” I stripped down and wrinkled my nose at the smelly clothes before tossing them aside. I waded into the cool water and shivered. Naruto waded in next to me. “Scrub down,” I ordered him, cupping water in my hands and rubbing the dirt from my skin with my knuckles. When I was done with that, I grabbed the soap. “‘kay. Wash up!” I ordered, squeezing it across Naruto’s shoulders and then into my hands.

He squealed as it oozed across his skin, but obediently began cleaning. I sudsed it through my hair and and dropped down into the clear water to wash it all off, sighing as I felt clean for the first time in what could’ve been weeks. On my knees with the water up to my chin, I stared at Naruto for a moment. A grin wormed its way across my face. “Water fight!” I screamed, suddenly splashing him.

He squeaked in surprise and tumbled backwards. It took a moment for what I’d done to register, then he grinned. “Splash!” he yelled, slapping his hands against the water and sending a wave my way. From there, we dissolved into a giant water war. When we were done, Naruto stepped out of the water, shivering. I wrapped a towel around my shoulders and tossed one to him with a quick order of, “Dry off.” Once we’d both done so, we changed into the new clothes I’d gotten. Then I held up the scissors and pointed at him. “Alright, time for a haircut.”

He stared at me for a moment before kneeling down at my direction. I combed through his still-damp hair with my fingers and began clipping away with skill earned through experience in my past life. When I was done, I rinsed my hands off in the river and then ruffled his shorter locks. “There you go.”

He beamed up at me then scrambled back to his coloring book as I sat down and cut my own hair. I didn’t cut it quite as short as his, choosing instead to cut it to just below my ears and then pull it back into two short pigtails. With all that done, I began sorting though our things and packing them away.

“Rai?”

The warble in Naruto’s voice caught my attention and I set down the blanket I was folding and turned to him. The pensive look on his face made me frown. “Hai, Nato?”

“When we gonna have a home again?”

I had to look away from his sad expression or I knew I would run the risk of crying. So I turned back to our things, picking up my wallet. “I don’t know. Probably when Oyaji gets back.”

“Are we . . . are we monsters?”

I dropped my wallet and it tumbled to the ground spilling its contents. I whipped around to face him. “No,” I said firmly. His eyes widened and I realized how angry I had sounded. I softened my voice. “No, Nato. We’re not monsters. Some people are just . . . confused.”

“Then . . . why don’t we have a home?”

I smiled sadly. “We’ve just had some really, really bad luck. It’ll get better. I promise.”

He nodded and hunched over his coloring book, though he didn’t move to pick up his crayon again. I turned back to my wallet and began collecting the things it had dropped. I paused over our library cards. And then I got an idea.

* * *

 

“Bye, Kamano-san! I’ll see you tomorrow!” I tossed the ramen box in the trash and skipped outside. “C’mon, Nato! We’re going to the _library!”_ I swept up the one bag I’d managed to fit all our things in.

He eyed me curiously. “The library?”

“Yep! It’s nicer than sittin’ under all those crates, right?”

“I guess.” He stumbled after me for a moment before matching my fast pace. “We gonna sleep in the library?”

I frowned. “I don’t think we can, Nato. It probably closes at night. Tell you what. Do you want to sleep by the river again? It wasn’t too bad last night, was it?”

He shook his head. “It’s nicer than the boxes, dattebayo.” He glanced around at the people we passed by and then huddled in on himself.

I frowned at him and followed his gaze to the villagers that were glaring at us. A scowl pulled at my face and I paused a step behind him. I snarled at the offenders, curling my lips back to give them a clear view of my unusually sharp canines. They glanced away uncomfortably and, satisfied, I caught up with Naruto again. “This way.” I grabbed his hand and steered him in the right direction. “You can work on your reading and writing while we’re there. Or you could color. And there’s a lot of stories!”

He lit up. “Really?”

“Yep! And they have pictures to help you read.” I skipped up the steps of the building and sighed happily when we got inside. Then I walked right up to the front desk. “Konichiwa, Kobayashi-san,” I said, careful to keep my voice quiet. “Where are the children’s books?”

She lowered her glasses from her nose and they hung loosely around her neck, held there by an ornate chain. “Aisles 17 and 18.”

I glanced over my shoulder at the large signs numbering the aisles. “Arigato.” Still holding on to Naruto’s hand, I led him to aisle 17. A grin touched my face when I saw that, cleverly placed between aisles 16 and 17, there sat a reading area complete with several comfy chairs and a table. “Alright, Nato, you can get some books and sit down to read them. I’m going to go get my own and I’ll be right back, okay?”

He glanced around nervously and his grip tightened on my hand. I hummed in the back of my throat and ruffled his hair. “I promise I won’t be long, okay? And I’ll still be able to hear you.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Hear my cha-ka-ra?”

I giggled. “Exactly. I’ll be able to hear your chakra.” Then I pointed at the closest bookcase of picture books and gently pushed him towards it. “I won’t be long.” Before he could protest again, I wandered away. It was difficult to find the aisles I needed—Konoha didn’t exactly run on the Dewey Decimal System—but eventually I found row after row of bookcases that held textbooks for civilian schools. Selecting a few First Year textbooks, I made my way back over to where Naruto was. I found him curled up in one of the reading chairs, a stack of books on the table and a large picture book in his lap. He looked up and grinned at me before returning to his story.

I laid my textbook—one studying language—out on the ground. During my last life, I’d studied and trained for my martial arts tournaments at the same time almost as a habit, so there was no reason that I couldn’t do the same here. After all, I wanted to protect Naruto, but all the foreknowledge in the world wouldn’t help me if I lacked strength. So I dropped down to the floor in pushup position and began reading as I exercised.

“Uh, Rai?”

I was halfway through the second page when he interrupted and I kept my pushups going as I glanced up at him. “Hai . . . Nato?” I asked, trying to regulate my breathing.

He squinted at me. “Whatcha doing?”

“Training.”

He stared at me in silence for a moment before shrugging and returning to his own book. I giggled and looked down at the page again. When I reached the end, I breathed deeply and lifted myself on one hand. But as I reached to turn the page, my working arm trembled and gave way. I caught myself on my elbows and groaned. “Screw that,” I muttered. I turned the page and lifted myself again. _Up, down, up, down, up, down._

I was two thirds of the way through the text book when my muscles refused to work anymore. I’d done more pushups at once that I’d ever been able to do in my last life, but I was also in a much smaller body augmented by chakra and that had already been conditioned by the morning exercise I’d been doing for years. With a sigh, I lifted the book onto the coffee table and began jogging in place as I read.

“Still training?” Naruto asked curiously, looking up from his coloring book.

“Yep,” I said, still reading the text.

“Why?”

I looked up at that and grinned at the look on his face. “Because I want to be a strong shinobi.”’

He nodded slowly. And then he turned his coloring book towards me and pointed at the Hokage Mountain picture he was coloring. For some reason, the Shodaime was pink. “I wanna be Hokage.”

I slowed my steps before I finally came to a stop. “Oh? Why’s that?”

“‘Cause everyone likes him, right? I want everyone to like me. And he’s strong and really, really smart and he takes care of everyone.” He looked contemplative, chewing on the red crayon he was holding. “I wanna take care of you.”

That made me stare at him. Then, ever so slowly, I reached out and pulled the crayon away from his mouth. “You’ll get sick if you eat that,” I murmured.

He blinked and looked at me. Then he grinned and returned to his coloring, as if he hadn’t just said something that had cracked my current worldview.

_He_ wanted to take care of _me?_ But I was the responsible one, the one always caring for him. Even thinking of it being the other way around was . . . wrong. But still, I felt something oddly warm in my chest at the thought and I smiled at him. “Thank you, Nato.”

He gave me an odd, confused look, and he clearly didn’t understand. But that was okay. Because I did.

* * *

 

I pulled myself up and sat on the edge of Saisu’s desk, swinging my legs lazily as I glanced around the room. The chunin slurped loudly on his ramen next to me and I sighed. “Ne, Kamano-san?”

He paused and looked up at me, a string of noodles still hanging out of his mouth and broth splash across his face. He made a grunting sound at the back of his throat that I translated as, “Huh?”

I giggled and shoved a handful of napkins at him. As the teen swallowed the mouthful of food he had and wiped his face, I asked, “Are you always a desk chunin at the Tower? Doesn’t it get boring?”

He shrugged. “There aren’t any permanent desk chunin. We’re just all on desk leave.”

I squinted at him, never having heard the term before. “Desk leave?”

“Mandatory leave of absence from the field. At least once every two years, for about three months. For chunin, at least. It’s like a break, but you still work.”

“Ah.”

With that, I let him return to his ramen. I passed the next few minutes by listening to the steady hum of Naruto’s bright chakra just outside the building. Every few moments, it would shrink back and I knew he was paying attention to the villager’s glares again. I grit my teeth and hopped off the desk, gathering up the leftovers from Saisu’s meal. “I’ll see you tomorrow!” Without waiting for an answer, I tossed the trash away and dashed outside. Sure enough, Naruto was huddled on the bench with his coloring book and box of crayons neatly put away next to him. His arms were wrapped tightly around his knees and his head was bowed.

“Nato,” I murmured, sinking onto the seat next to him. Almost as if he’d been waiting for me, he instantly curled into my side and wrapped his arms firmly around me. “Just ignore them,” I whispered. “It’ll get better. I promise. We just have to work for it.”

He didn’t react, so I just let him sit quietly for a while as I carded my fingers through his hair. Finally, he rasped, “When’s Jiji gonna be back? It’s been forever.”

I giggled. “It hasn’t been _forever,_ Nato. It’s only been a few weeks. I’m sure he’ll be back soon.” Then I stood and packed away his coloring book and crayons into the bag. After slinging it over my shoulder, I pulled him to his feet. “You want to go to the library?”

He thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. “River.”

I nodded and gripped his hand tightly, turning in that direction. “Alright, let’s go, then.”

Naruto’s chakra got lighter the closer to Naka River that we got, and when we finally reached it he laughed happily and dashed forward. I grinned at his enthusiasm and sat down a few feet from the water as he stripped down to his shorts and waded into it. I diverted most of my attention away from him, though I kept a careful watch on his chakra, and began to unwrap my left hand. I winced at the chakra burns across my palm and the way they stretched painfully when I flexed my fingers. _Why haven’t they healed yet?_

**Chakra burns aren’t like normal injuries. They have to heal normally—any more chakra involved in the process agitates the already chakra-sensitive wound.**

_Huh, I didn’t know you were knowledgeable of medical stuff._

He grunted in response and I giggled. Then I straightened and concentrated again, drawing up the chakra and then carefully expelling it while simultaneously controlling it. A blue glow slowly engulfed my hand.

_1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . ._

“Whoa! That’s cool, Rai!”

I smiled distractedly, but didn’t look up at him. It was easy to control the chakra light now, but I wasn’t going to risk anything.

_14 . . . 15 . . . 16 . . . ._

I was actually going to be able to do it. The light was steady, I wasn’t straining to keep it going, and I’d almost reached my goal. I could see Naruto approach me out of the corner of my eye.

_28 . . . 29 . . . 30!_

Grinning, I dispelled the light and turned to Naruto. “Awesome, right?”

He stared at me with wide eyes. “Yeah.” Then he tackled me, knocking me backwards. “You’re amazing, Rai!”

“Ack! You’re getting me all wet, Nato!”

* * *

 

Lightning lit up the sky, sending jagged shadows arching across the forest floor, and thunder cracked, leaving my ears ringing. Naruto huddled next to me, shivering and clutching our bag to his chest. “Rai,” he whispered. “I’m scared.”

My answer was cut off by another flash of lightning. Heat burned above us as it struck the tree we had sought shelter from. The limbs above us creaked and one cracked, its leaves alight with flame. I scrambled backwards, dragging Naruto with me, and it crashed down into the spot we’d just vacated. “We need to get somewhere safe,” I muttered.

And then I realized I was an idiot for not having thought of this sooner.

“C’mon. I know where we can go.” I grabbed the bag from him and slung it across my shoulder. Then I took his hand and started leading him. Another flash of lightning and boom of thunder made him shriek before he managed to collect himself enough to ask where we were going.

“Home,” I told him. Because really, out of everywhere we’d ever lived, it was home. At least to me.

He followed me, clearly confused but trusting. When we reached the streets again, they were flooding with water and deserted. I fought against the water that lapped around my shins, trying to push me backwards. I knew exactly where I was going, but we had to get there before the storm got worse.

I heard a splash behind me and suddenly Naruto’s hand slipped from mine, his chakra flaring. I whipped around. “Nato!” I yelled, lunging after him. I grabbed his hand and tried to pull him to his feet. “C’mon, we have to—”

“It hurts!” He looked up at me, sitting in the high water and clutching his leg. Suddenly, I wasn’t sure if the drops on his face were rain or tears. Then my gaze dropped to his leg and I hissed at the bloody gash along his shin. “Damn it,” I muttered, knowing the roaring winds covered my voice so he couldn’t hear me swearing. I hurriedly unraveled the bandage around my hand and wrapped it tightly around his calf. I knew it wouldn’t help with infection, but at least it would hopefully help stop him from losing too much blood.

“Can you walk?” I yelled, hoping he could hear me. Whimpering, he pushed himself to his feet. But when he tried to put weight on his leg, his knee buckled and he started to fall. I caught him around his middle and carefully lowered him down, swearing colorfully in my mind with ever curse word I knew. When I ran out of expletives, I switched to English. Kurama seemed to be enjoying my tirade, snickering in the back of my head. I adjusted our bag so that it was slung across my front and tightened it so it would be sure to not fall off. “Stand up,” I ordered.

Trembling, he pushed himself up and stood uncertainly on one foot. The waters tried to push him over, but I held tightly onto his hand to keep him from falling. Then I turned and offered him my back. “I’ll carry you.”

I heard him make a sound of disbelief, but then water splashed and weight settled on my back. For a five-year-old, Naruto was incredibly light. That, combined with my training, made this easy. I trudged through the water, my hands hooked around his knees and his arms locked around my shoulders. I could feel the mass of chakra signatures shrinking behind me as we got closer and closer to our destination. As we left the stone streets behind, I ended up wading through thick mud.

And then the building came into view.

I sped up my pace. “There it is, Nato.”

His breath tickled my ear as he sniffled. “What is it?”

“Do you remember ANBU?”

He paused. “Maybe.”

I giggled, and then immediately regretted it when I gurgled a mouthful of rain. I spit the water out and climbed the stairs to the front door. I hunched over to keep Naruto on my back as I reached for the doorknob and pushed my way inside.

Instantly, a figure dropped in front of the two of us and the recognizable sour smell filled my nostrils. My shoulders slumped in relief. “Uma!”

The figure paused and a flash of lightning illuminated the familiar markings on his mask. After a moment, he said, “Mirai-chan? Naruto-chan? What are you doing here?”

“Nato’s hurt,” was all I said, shifting my brother on my back.

That snapped him into action. He slammed the door shut and the lights hummed as they flickered on. “This way,” he said, waving to me. I followed him towards what I remembered to be the kitchen. The sound of a door opening and closing echoed down the hallway, but I ignored that. Uma waved towards the kitchen table and then dug through the cabinets, getting medical supplies. “Put him there.”

I stumbled over to the chair, my tiredness catching up with me, and set Naruto down. I dragged another chair across the floor and lifted his leg onto it. He whimpered and I glanced up at him. “Hey, we’ll get you fixed up.” I slung the bag off of me and it fell to the ground with a squelch, drenched with water. I winced. “Uh, sorry.”

Uma shrugged. “It’s fine.” He knelt down and began unwrapping the bandage tied clumsily around Naruto’s leg. I grit my teeth at the open wound and Naruto looked a little green.

“Oi, Uma, what the hell’s going on?”

I stiffened and whipped around at the familiar voice and smell. I lit up and the words left my mouth before I could even think about it. “‘Nu-nii!”

He blinked, staring down at me blankly for a moment. Then he slowly looked back up at Uma, reaching out almost habitually to ruffle my hair and then pulling his hand back when he only came into contact with my soaked beanie. “What’s going on?”

Uma shook his head. “I don’t know.” He began cleaning out the cut in Naruto’s leg and the boy whimpered, curling his hands into fists. I turned and walked towards him before I even really knew what I was doing. Then thunder boomed outside.

The lights went out.

Naruto shrieked and his chakra jumped. I could hear Uma cursing. So I lifted my hand and focused my chakra in the same way I’d been practicing for months. A soft glow illuminated the room and I relaxed as I heard Naruto’s wild breathing even out.

“When did you learn to do that, Mirai-chan?”

I jumped in surprise, not having realized that Kakashi had moved so that he now knelt next to me. “Uh, I mastered it just a week ago.”

The lights flickered as they came back on and I let my chakra dissipate. I let my hand drop, but not before Kakashi’s eyes had narrowed. He lifted my hand, cradling it in his larger one, and examined the chakra burns across my palm. “These won’t heal if you keep using chakra there,” he murmured. Then he dropped my hand and stood, moving over to the first aid kit Uma had left out on the counter.

The older ANBU finished bandaging Naruto’s leg and was lecturing him about going easy on it. Kakashi motioned to me and I skipped over to him. I squeaked in surprise when his hands hooked under my arms and lifted me onto the counter. I blinked at him. “What?”

“Hand,” he said tonelessly. When I lifted it, he grabbed it and began smearing a cold paste across my burns. I flinched in surprise and, when he released me, lifted my hand closer to my face so I could examine it. “What is it?”

“Chakra burn balm.”

“Oh.” Then I moved and unwrapped the bandages around my other hand before holding it out to him.

He blinked at the burns across my other palm before sighing and treating it as well. Then he pulled out a roll of bandages and carefully covered my hands. I flexed my fingers, studying his handiwork. It was much neater than anything I’d done and I smiled up at him. “Arigato.”

He nodded and began packing the first aid kit up. “So why are you here?”

“We needed somewhere to hide from the storm,” I said simply, swinging my legs.

He cocked an eyebrow. “The orphanage wasn’t good enough?”

Naruto frowned. “The Matron kicked us out.”

Kakashi stiffened, his gaze snapping to Naruto. Uma had gone still as well. I opened my mouth to explain, but then the older ANBU cut me off. “Where have you been staying?”

Naruto answered before I could. “Weeeeeell,” he said, seeming to think about it. “We were under those boxes for a couple weeks, I think, and then we stayed at the river, dattebayo.”

I cleared my throat awkwardly. “I was gonna talk to the Hokage about it, but he’s been in Suna.”

Kakashi’s eyebrows drew together. “Why didn’t you come here sooner?”

I felt my face burn. “I, uh, actually didn’t think about it.”

Then our conversation was interrupted by a loud rumble from my gut, which was echoed by Naruto’s stomach. Uma chuckled, already moving for the pantry. “Hungry?”

“Hai, dattebayo!”

“A little,” I conceded, jumping down to the floor. Then I knelt next to our backpack, removing my beanie and dropping it onto the floor. I blessed internally whoever had made our bag for having used such thick material, because I unzipped it to find that out things were untouched by water. I could hear the microwave running as I dug through out things. I pulled out Naruto’s coloring book and crayons and then moved over to the table, placing them in front of him. He squealed out his thanks and then flipped to the picture he’d been working on most recently.

“And your midnight meal is served!” Uma announced, placing a steaming cup of ramen in front of each of us. Naruto lit up and pushed his book aside, snatching up his chopsticks and aiming to dig in. I rapped him sharply across the knuckles with my own chopsticks. “Manners.”

He flushed and bowed his head. “Itadakimasu!” Then he began slurping up his meal.

I said it as well, though quieter, and dug in. The chair next to me scraped against the floor as Kakashi sat down, and Uma sat down across from me, to Naruto’s left. “We’ll let you sleep here until Hokage-sama comes back,” Kakashi murmured. “But then you’ll have to leave.”

I nodded, knowing that he wasn’t the one making that decision, but that the Hokage had probably instituted a rule along those lines when we’d been sent to the orphanage two years ago. “When will he be back? I’ve gone to the Tower every day to check, but it’s taking forever.”

“He was in Suna for all three phases of the Chunin Exams. He should be back in just a week.”

I slurped up the rest of the ramen broth and then gathered up the cups and chopsticks, pacing over to the trashcan to throw them away.  “Where are we sleeping?”

“The rooms are all taken, including your old one.” Uma pushed himself to his feet and I could practically hear the grin in his voice. “But I’m sure Inu won’t mind letting you stay in his room.”

Kakashi shot the older man a sharp look but sighed, nodding. I grinned, grabbing Naruto’s hand. “Great!” Then I dragged him off down the hall, bursting into Kakashi’s room. The nineteen-year-old appeared in the doorway a moment later.

“I would ask how you remember which room is mine, but I’m not sure I want to know.” He shuffled over to the bed and then motioned to the two of us. “I’m sure we all can fit.”

Naruto grinned and climbed up. I jumped up after him, immediately curling around my brother in the way I was used to. Kakashi reached across us and clicked off the lamp. Then I paused.

“Er, ‘Nu-nii? We need a change of dry clothes.”

* * *

 

I was having a nice dream, for once—a dream about going out on a picnic with Naruto and eating all the ramen we could ever want. It was interrupted when the sun suddenly disappeared and I was thrown into wakefulness, all too aware of the fact that my brother’s chakra had just vanished. I tumbled wildly out of the empty bed, wearing a modified version of one of Kakashi’s shirts as a nightdress. I scrambled out the door, my heart thundering against my ribcage. I saw Mokin step out of his room and he turned towards me. “Ah, Mirai-chan! I heard you were back and—”

“Just a moment!” I yelled, running past him. Some of my panic eased off when I could finally feel the heat of Naruto’s chakra again, and I raced after it until finally I burst out into the open air. The heavy scent of petrichor assaulted my nose, but I whipped around and tackled the boy sitting on the steps. “Don’t scare me like that!”

Naruto blinked up at me. “What’s wrong?”

I shook my head, holding him tight and burying my face in his shoulder. I breathed in his scent of tree leaves for a moment before finally releasing him, having fully reassured myself that he was fine. I sat up and pulled him up as well. He looked embarrassed. “Sorry. I thought you could still hear me.”

“Hear you?”

I jumped, not having registered the fact that Kakashi was there as well, decked out in full ANBU gear. “Uh, yeah. Like I couldn’t feel his chakra.”

“We always stay close enough so she can still hear my cha-ka-ra,” Naruto shared, proud to be adding something to the conversation.

Kakashi arched an eyebrow. “I know my room is far into HQ, but that’s still only three hundred feet. You’re telling me you two have never been further than three hundred feet apart?”

I met his gaze and nodded once. “Hai. Nato’s my responsibility.”

My brother made an odd sound in the back of his throat. “And when I become Hokage, I’ll be able to take care of _her!”_

I beamed at him and ruffled his hair. Naruto ducked his head and flushed before eying me curiously. “You gonna train, Rai?”

I though about it for a moment, sitting down on the step by Kakashi’s knee. “Probably.” I looked up. “Can I, ‘Nu-nii.”

He hummed for a moment. “I don’t see why not.” Then he motioned to my bandaged hands. “As long as you don’t use chakra.”

I screwed up my nose. “How long until they’re healed?”

He shrugged. “Not sure. It’s different for everyone.” He rose to his feet and waved to the two of us. “Head inside. I have a mission.”

I frowned. “Will it take long?”

He shook his head. “I should be back tonight.” With that, he patted me on the head and then disappeared.

I took Naruto’s hand and tugged him up the stairs. The moment we stepped inside, I was met with the familiar aroma of pumpkin. I beamed. “Mokin!”

“How are my two favorite minions?” he asked, kneeling down to our level.

I grinned in answer, and then moved on to another subject. “Ne, Mokin, are there any targets I could use for practice?”

He blinked at me from behind his mask. “We have the training hall.”

“Right! I forgot about that. Arigato!” Ignoring Naruto’s protests, I dragged him back down the hall to Kakashi’s room. I could almost hear him pouting.

“But, Rai, I don’t wanna train!”

“Do you want to color? We can bring your book, and _Slug Princess_ for you to read,” I suggested, digging through our bag.

His whining stopped instantly. “Yeah!”

“Good.” I got his things and then my collection of training supplies, which I’d never touched until now. “Down the hall to the left, it should be the . . . fifth door on the right.”

Naruto nodded and skipped away. I readjusted our things in my arms and paced after him. We entered the training hall and Naruto settled in one corner with his coloring books and crayons. I set up starting ten feet away from the targets. I’d used throwing knives in my past life, and I’d been great at it, if I did say so myself. I knew how to throw everything. But actually getting my childish body to cooperate would be another story.

I lifted the first kunai and ran my finger down the blade. It was dull, of course, and wouldn’t stick in the target until both my accuracy and my strength improved. I would just have to focus on where it _did_ hit and then go from there. I slid my hand around the handle and tested the weight. Then I lifted my arm, sliding my feet into a staggered position to give myself more balance. And then I threw.

The kunai clattered unhappily off the very edge of the target and then to the floor below. I frowned, adjusted accordingly, and threw the next kunai. And then another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another. My arm ached as I went and collected my weapons, moving back to start over again. Each kunai felt heavier than the last, weighing down on my shoulder and making it harder to throw. When I moved forward and collected them all again, I frowned down at my right hand. And then I switched.

Throwing with my left hand was difficult. In other words, I sucked at it. It took me seven tries to even manage to hit the target once, and another five to be able to hit the target consistently, even if it was no where near the center. I threw and threw until my left arm couldn’t anymore. And then I returned to my right.

My concentration was almost fully dedicated to my training, a small part of it focused on Naruto’s chakra. So when I felt his energy stirring in agitation, I cleaned my weapons up and stored them away. “Do you want to hear a new story, Nato?”

He looked up from the page he’d been blankly staring at and grinned. “Yeah!”

“Alright, I’ll tell you it while I’m doing my stretches.” I mused for a moment over what fairytale to tell him. “This story is called _The Kage’s New Robes.”_ As I settled into my first stretch, Naruto scrambled to sit in front of me so he could listen. “Once upon a time, there was a Kage that loved clothes so much that he spent _all_ of his money on it. He loved his clothes so much that people never said ‘The Kage is in a meeting.’ Instead, they said ‘Kage-sama is getting dressed.’”

Naruto made a face. “He sounds stupid, dattebayo. A kage takes care of people, not clothes!”

I smiled indulgently. “One day, two very tricky shinobi came to the Village and lied, saying they made clothes for a living. They said their clothes were so good that people who were stupid couldn’t see them.”

My brother wrinkled his nose. “But there aren’t invisible clothes.”

“Exactly. Thinking he was smart, the Kage hired the two. They set up sewing machines and pretended to work. After a while, the Kage sent his advisors to check on how the clothing was going along. But when the advisors got there, they couldn’t see the clothes. Afraid of the Kage thinking they were stupid, they lied and said the clothes were beautiful.” That made Naruto giggle and comment on their stupidity. I shrugged. “Maybe. But eventually, the two liars said the clothes were done. When they brought it to him, the Kage was afraid.”

“‘Cause he couldn’t see it?”

“Exactly. He was afraid people would take away his title of Kage if they thought he was stupid because he couldn’t see the clothes. So he pretended and put them on. Of course, the clothes weren’t real. So when he put them on, he was naked!”

At that Naruto started cackling and rolled onto his back, clutching his stomach as he guffawed. I sank into my splits.

“The Kage, of course, wanted to show off his new clothes. So he paraded around town. Everyone was afraid of being seen as stupid, so they all lied about how pretty his robes were. But then a child, who was too young and innocent to be stupid, said, ‘But he doesn’t have anything on.’ Everyone whispered that to each other until they realized it was true. And then the Kage heard and knew they were right.”

He blinked at me. “Your stories are weird.” I shrugged and leaned over to touch my toes, not disagreeing. “And then what?” he asked.

“And then nothing. The people felt stupid, the Kage was ashamed, and the liars got away.”

He pulled a face. “That’s not a very happy ending.”

I giggled and gathered up our things. “Sometimes there aren’t happy endings. Let’s go see if Mokin will take us to ramen.”

That completely flipped his mood and he skipped away ahead of me, chanting, “Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!”

In Kakashi’s room, I changed into my now-dry clothes and collected Naruto’s coloring book and my wallet. When we stepped out into the hallway, I called, “Mokin!”

He appeared in front of us almost instantly, making Naruto squeal in surprise and cling to me. “What’s up?” he asked cheerfully.

“Can we go to Ichiraku’s?” I asked, making sure to use the doe eyes that always made the ANBU fold when I was younger. “Please?”

He seemed to think about it for a moment, crouching in front of us. “Okay,” he agreed. “But I’ll have to follow where you can’t tell I’m there. People aren’t supposed to see me.”

I nodded. “‘kay! Er, do you have money?”

He disappeared for just a few seconds and then landed in front of us again. “Here you go,” he said, dropping a small handful of ryo into my palm. “You two go ahead. I’ll follow.”

I nodded and grabbed Naruto’s hand, dragging him out the front of the headquarters. The ground was still muddy and wet, only becoming more so that farther into town we got. I climbed up onto one of the stools. “Teuchi-san! One salt and one miso, please.”

“Naruto-chan! Mirai-chan!” The old man beamed at the two of us. “Coming right up!”

After a few moment, someone else sat down at one of the stools. I sniffed at the familiar smell and turned, finding myself staring up into an unforgettable face that I had once seen in an anime—Shiranui Genma. And then I realized I’d been so terribly stupid. “Mokin?” I asked quietly.

He glanced at me, chewing on the senbon between his teeth. His gaze flicked to Naruto, but the boy was in a conversation with Ayame about the properties of ramen and didn’t seem to be paying attention. He sighed. “You always were a smart one,” he said softly, just loud enough for me to hear.

“You smell the same,” I said simply, because somehow that was more important than how he looked. “What’s your name?”

“I’m not sure I should tell you that.”

I made a face. “It’s not like I can’t find out on my own, even if it takes a while.”

“Genma,” he offered only a moment later. “One pork ramen,” he called out.

“Of course,” Teuchi said, setting a bowl down in front of me and another in front of Naruto.

“Itadakimasu,” I murmured, breaking my chopsticks apart.

And for just a moment, ANBU felt like family again.

* * *

 

When Kakashi and his team returned, he found me lying on my back with my feet pressed against the newly-dented wall. He stopped about a foot away and crossed his arms. “What’s going on here?”

I blinked and turned my head towards him. “I’m learning how to tree-walk.” With that said, I returned to trying to regulate the proper amount of chakra in my feet.

“Uh-huh. Where’s Naruto?”

“Nato’s already sleeping. But I can hear his chakra, so it’s okay.” I discontinued the flow through the soles of my feet and pushed myself up. My gaze flicked across his two companions’ masks. And I frowned. “You’re not Neko.”

The brunet cocked his head curiously at me, but Kakashi just chuckled, removing his dog mask. “Neko retired from ANBU. This Neko is her replacement.”

“Ah.” A distinct but barely familiar scent of sugar teased my nostrils and I leaned forward, sniffing deeply. My feet moved without me even thinking about it, and I found myself standing before Kakashi’s second teammate. I smiled up at him. “Konichiwa, Itachi-san.”

Those dark eyes blinked for a moment before he reached up and removed his mask as well. “I’m impressed, Mirai-chan. We’ve only met once before.”

“I have a good memory,” I said simply. I leaned towards the new Neko and sniffed deeply, memorizing his scent. It wasn’t one I’d smelled before, but I felt like I was missing something obvious. I could feel Kurama getting oddly agitated inside my head. _What’s wrong, Kyuubi?_

**His scent reminds me of a Senju,** he growled, unhappy to be questioned, but even more unhappy at Neko’s smell.

I cocked my head to the side. A Senju? Why would—

Of course.

I carefully kept my realization from showing on my face, but there was no denying it. It was Tenzo. Orochimaru’s experiment, Danzo’s pawn, and Kakashi’s friend. That was why he smelled like burnt wood. I offered him a smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I wasn’t aware that you were . . . associated with ANBU, Mirai-chan,” the Uchiha murmured.

“She’s not,” Kakashi said, answering for me. “The twins were our . . . wards, at one point. They returned here last night, which is when we discovered they’d been kicked out of the orphanage a few weeks ago. They’ll remain with us until the Hokage returns and arranges a new living situation for them.”

As if that exchange hadn’t even happened, I turned to Itachi with a grin. “Nato and I’d like to play with Sasuke again sometime, if we could! It was fun last time.”

“You have tomorrow as a free day,” Kakashi murmured.

Itachi nodded. “That sounds reasonable. I’ll retrieve you and your brother after breakfast. I’m sure Sasuke will be delighted.”

My grin widened. “Great! Ne, ‘Nu-nii, can we use the salve again?” I asked, wiggling my bandaged fingers.

He sighed and his hands hooked under my arms. A moment later, I was settled on his shoulders with my hands tangled in his hair to keep myself in place. “Go ahead and get some rest,” he mumbled to his teammates. We arrived at the kitchen and he set me down on the table before beginning to sift through the cabinets. I tucked my hands under my thighs and swung my legs lazily. “Is being ANBU hard?” I asked curiously.

He glanced at me, selecting the jar of salve. “You know the answer to that, Mirai. Don’t play stupid—it doesn’t fit you.”

I felt my cheeks burn a little and I held out one of my hands for him to treat. I kept my gaze on my burns as he unwound my bandages. “Right. Do you like it, though?”

He smoothed the cool paste across my burns and then wrapped a new bandage around my hand. He was silent as he moved onto my other hand. Then he finally spoke. “In a way.”

“Aa.” I let him finish and then rubbed my hands together as I watched him dig through the cabinets again. He pulled out a strip of black cloth and detached the barely singed one from his mask. I cocked my head to the side. “Whatcha doing?”

“We have to remove any evidence of a fight after each mission,” he said simply, attaching the new cloth.

I pushed myself off the table and paced over to him. I watched curiously as his hands moved with a mechanical deftness, showing that he’d done this hundreds of times before. Then I reached out and took the cloth he’d removed. It was barely touched, just as slight crispness about the edges, but apparently that was enough. Ignoring the fact that I knew he was watching me in interest now, I wrapped it around my wrist and tucked in the ends.

“What’s that for?”

I glanced up at him and smiled. “A reminder of what I’m working towards, I guess.”

“Oh?”

“ANBU,” I clarified. “Nato wants to be Hokage, but I’ll be ANBU, like my Niisan.” I smiled at him.

Something flickered through his gaze—sadness, or maybe it was just surprise—and then he sighed and patted me on the head, unable to ruffle my hair through my beanie. “Let’s get you to bed, alright, kiddo?”

* * *

 

The atmosphere once we reached the Uchiha Compound was . . . odd. It lacked the normal hostile air Naruto and I received when we went outside. Instead, it was almost like we were ignored—all the attention went to Itachi. Which I was fine with, because it gave me an opportunity to observe. The things I’d heard about the size and pride of the Uchiha Clan seemed to be true enough—it was full of people all wearing the fan emblem, and they all carried themselves with a certain about of self-respect.

“Here we are,” Itachi murmured, pushing aside the door to the largest house on the street.

When we stepped inside, I followed the ANBU’s example and removed my shoes. I poked Naruto, prompting him to do the same. Then Itachi led us into another room. And that was the first time I saw his parents. He moved and knelt between Sasuke and Mikoto. I had never been instructed on the formalities of these introductions, but I could guess. So I motioned subtly to Naruto and knelt so that the two of us were sitting seiza directly across from the clan head. A silence, not awkward but not comfortable either, settled over us all and I licked my lips nervously. Was I supposed to speak first?”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Apparently not.

“My name is Uchiha Fugaku, and this is my wife Mikoto. As I understand, you are already acquainted with both my sons. It’s my honor to welcome you into our home.”

The slightly-too-long pause after that told me it was my turn to speak. I bowed my head in respect. “I thank you for allowing us to be here.”

He made a strange approving noise. “Lunch will be fully prepared in four hours.” It wasn’t an invitation to dine with them—it sounded more like an order. “Please enjoy your time here.”

“We will,” I said, lifting my head just in time to see the slight frown thrown in my brother’s direction when the clan head realized I was the only one that had spoken. Naruto looked distinctly uncomfortable, clearly not used to sitting in seiza for any period of time. Fugaku rose to his feet and the rest of us followed, the Uchiha clearly more graceful that us. The clan head and his wife exited the room and Sasuke broke out into a grin. “Ya wanna play Ninja?” he asked excitedly.

I’d heard of the game, of course, but we’d never been included in those games at the orphanage. Naruto frowned. “Ninja? How do ya play, dattebayo?”

“It’s like tag!” Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s arm and dragged him outside. Itachi and I followed at a more sedate pace. Sasuke babbled on for a while about how there were missing nin and hunter nin and the idea was for the hunter nin to capture all the traitors by marking them with a paper tag or, if you were a nuke nin, you had to hit all the hunter nin with the toy shuriken they had. We reached one of the Uchiha training grounds and Sasuke handed out the shuriken. I tested the weight of the six I’d been given. They were lighter than my training kunai, and there was no way they’d throw as straight.

“Oi, what’s going on here!”

The new voice made Naruto jump and he scrambled behind me. I blinked and looked up at the teen that was hanging upside down from a tree, his legs hooked over one of the branches. He looked vaguely familiar and I felt like I should have known who he was.

“Ah. Sasuke and his friends are going to play Ninja.”

The older teen grinned at Itachi and jumped down. “Cool! I’ll play.” He put his hands on his hips and smiled brightly down at us. “I’m Uchiha Shisui! It’s nice to meet you two!”

And just like that, hot rocks dropped into my stomach and my mouth dried out. I was now standing before one of Konoha’s most loyal shinobi—and a super strong one at that—that would commit suicide in just a couple years in order to protect the Village. I stumbled over myself for a moment to bow shallowly in respect. “It’s always nice to meet a super strong shinobi. So, ohayo. I’m Uzumaki Mirai. This is my brother, Naruto.”

“Awesome. Tachi-chan, you’re playing, right?”

I couldn’t help the way I choked and sputtered at that. Sasuke’s brother shot me a look and I barely managed to mouth _Tachi-chan._

He sighed. “I concede. How will the parts be divided, then?”

“Nato, Sasuke-kun, and Shisui-san can be the hunter nin.” A grin stretched across my face and I tightened my grip on my shuriken. “Ready, set, go!” With that, I dashed away, leaving behind a confused group that dispersed only a moment later. I scrambled up a tree, desperately wishing I was able to use the tree-walking exercise already, and hunched in wait. A flash of movement caught my eye and I grinned when I saw Sasuke running below me. I readied my weapon and threw.

It went wide.

Sasuke screeched to a stop, looking for the person who had thrown it. Scowling at how different it was compared to my training shuriken, I tried again.

It nailed Sasuke in the forehead.

I barely withheld a shriek of happiness when he started pouting and trudged over to the ‘out’ spot. With that done, I turned just in time to see Itachi hit Naruto with one of his own shuriken. I grinned. Just Shisui left, then.

“That was quite the throw, kiddo.”

I reacted instinctively and whipped around, throwing my elbow out and bringing my other hand up to protect my bared ribs. Shisui caught my arm easily with one hand and then snatched me up by my ankle, holding me upside down by my foot as he placed the paper tag on my forehead. “You’re out!”

Something clocked him in the side of the head. “So are you,” Itachi said calmly.

Shisui stuck out his lower lip in an over-exaggerated pout. “Aw, c’mon, Tachi-chan! That was not fair. I totally had you guys!” He sighed. “Fine, fine, I get it.”

I reached up, my abs straining with the effort, and pinched his wrist just at the pressure point. Surprised, he relaxed his grip and I twisted away, falling to the ground. I could hear Shisui yell above me, but I flipped and landed on the ground in a solid crouch. The moment I did, the Uchiha was beside me. He arched an eyebrow, the worry smoothing out of his face. “Huh. Impressive for a brat, I guess.”

“Don’t think so lowly of yourself, Shisui-san. You did quite well.”

He blinked and then barked out a laugh. “I like this one!”

And that was when I knew that the last thing I wanted was for Uchiha Shisui to die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Answer: I’m a proud Slytherin. And, coincidentally (not), so is Mirai.
> 
> Question: Which of the Academy Three is your favorite: kawarimi, henge, or bushin?
> 
> Today’s suggested fanfic: Erasing Impossibility by natanije. (on FF.net)


	5. Chapter Four - Penurious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Penurious—adj. 1: extremely stingy; parsimonious; miserly 2: extremely poor; destitute; indigent 3: poorly or inadequately supplied; lacking in means or resources]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Kamano Saisu, Yanagikage Kokage, and Kanden Tekuno are actually real, canon characters. Saisu and Kokage were just a couple years below graduation age at the time of the Kyuubi Attack. Tekuno’s age isn’t known, but with context clues and all that I decided that he couldn’t be too much older than them. Thus, their genin team was born. And yes, Kokage actually is a canon fuuton user. Let me put it this way: Naruto Wikia is my best friend. And in this chapter, you get to see more hints of Mirai’s anxiety in how it manifests as her protectiveness over Naruto. It’s something she struggled with in her past life and, just like all her other previous issues, it will be coming back full force soon enough.  
> A note on Shisui (my beautiful, sweet, too-precious-for-this-world cinnamon roll): I’d like to hear y’all’s thoughts on how I wrote him. He doesn’t get a lot of time in the anime/manga, so it’s hard to explore his personality there. But he is a genius and prodigy, despite the fact that Itachi surpassed him there. And he was incredibly loyal. Not to mention he was an impressive enough shinobi that Ao respected him and remembered his chakra for basically a decade at least. He’s way under-appreciated, so I’m really hoping I do him justice here, because he’s super important to the story.  
> If you have any ideas/suggestions/things you’d like to read for either this or my Scrapbook side-fic, then feel free to PM me. In the meantime, don’t forget to read and review!
> 
> WARNING: There is a panic attack of sorts in this chapter. Nothing super serious, and I think it should be fine. But this is just a heads up in case it could potentially be a trigger; I want to take care of my readers.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: The wordsmith of the hereinafter tale is not the proprietress of the fable entitle Naruto or any of the associated characters.
> 
> I give you the fifth installment of Samsaric.

Meditating on the ceiling was odd in the beginning. At first, too much of my concentration was going to keeping an accurate flow of chakra. After that, I let my mind wander too far, my control slipped, I tumbled down onto Kakashi’s bed.

Finally, I got it.

I’d been meditating successfully for just under half an hour when I was interrupted again.

“That’s impressive, Mirai-chan. I see you’ve been working hard while I’ve been away.”

I squeaked in surprise at the Hokage’s voice, my chakra slipping. I detached from the ceiling with a pop and flopped onto the bed below. It took a moment for me to regain my senses and I blinked. Then I scrambled to my feet. “Oyaji! You’re back!”

“Hai, I am,” he said.

My gaze turned to the people behind him and I saw Kakashi—fully masked—standing there with Naruto. “Time to go?”

“Yes. I’m sorry for what happened at the orphanage, but now you and Naruto-chan will have an apartment to yourselves. I’m sure I can trust you to be responsible with it?”

I nodded and then scrambled around the room, gathering up our things and packing them away. “Of course I will be. Arigato.” I slung the backpack over my shoulder.

Hiruzen nodded. “Let’s be on our way, then.”

Naruto skipped after him, but I paused by Kakashi and hugged him tightly around his knees. “Bye, ‘Nu-nii.”

He patted me on the head. “We’ll see each other again, Mirai.”

I smiled up at him and, refusing to acknowledge the tears in my eyes, scrambled after my brother. We headed off towards the apartment and I felt excitement building in me right up to the moment when we started up the stairs. And then my heart plunged into a bucket of ice and I stopped. “Ne, Oyaji?”

“Hai, Mirai-chan?”

“Who lives here?”

He blinked before looking at me as if he was searching for something. Then his assessment was complete and he nodded acceptingly. “Trusted shinobi. Civilians are rare in this part of the housing sector.”

Not civilians. Good. Shinobi. Better than that, they were _trusted_ shinobi. Probably people the Hokage himself had looked at to decide if he would allow them to live close to me and Naruto. I glanced at my brother and he took my hand, fiddling nervously with the goggles around his neck. Satisfied, I followed the Hokage the rest of the way up the stairs. Just as we reached our new home, the door to the right of our apartment was flung open. “Hokage-sama!”

I blinked at the shinobi. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t figure out why.

The door to the right of _that_ door slammed open. “Hokage-sama!” the second shinobi said, bowing low and then straightening with a grin.

It clicked and I recognized the two of them. Izumo and Kotetsu, wasn’t it? I’d loved the two as characters, even though they got hardly any screen time. And now I’d be living next to them?

They grinned down at me and Naruto. “Ah, you’re our new neighbors!” the spiky-haired one said. “Hagane Kotetsu. Pleasure!”

“Maa, ignore the caffeinated idiot. I’m Kamizuki Izumo. It’s nice to meetcha.”

It took me a moment to regain my bearings, and by that point the door on the other side of our apartment had opened. “Hokage-sama. It’s— _cough, cough_ —an honor.”

“Aw, Hayate-kun, aren’t they just adorable? Hi, I’m Uzuki Yuugao, and this is my boyfriend, Gekko Hayate.”

That was . . . unexpected. Alright, I could live with that. At least I felt more comfortable knowing the people leaving on either side of us were actually people I could trust, seeing as they’d been loyal comrades in the manga. So I bowed. “Uzumaki Mirai. This is my brother, Naruto, it’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

Yuugao dove forward and swept me up into her arms. “You’re just so _cute!”_

The scent of flowers engulfed me and it was undeniable exactly who this was. I instinctively clung to her.  “I’ve missed you, Neko,” I whispered, so lowly that I wasn’t sure if she would even be able to hear me. But judging by the tension that rippled subtly through her arms, I guessed she had. She released me and lowered me to my feet, smiling at me sadly as she stepped back.

The Hokage held out two keys and dropped them in the palm of my hand. He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling oddly. “Welcome home.”

* * *

 

I was goal-oriented.

That was an integral part of me—always had been and always would be. I was not, however, a planner. At least not by nature. Both of my original parents had been, however, so it was something I learned simply from being around them. Almost as soon as Naruto and I had been left alone in our new home, I sat down to plan while he dashed around the small place all while gasping in awe.

I stacked the ryo that had been given to us and then flipped open the notebook the Hokage had provided me with, clicking my pen. And then I resigned myself to doing something I was actually extraordinarily good at—budgeting. As a side job, both my parents had been financial advisors in my last life, and so money had been a skill of mine.

Considering that the apartment had already been furnished, none of that had to be purchased. However, groceries were necessary. I jotted that down, making a note next to it to make a list of specific foods to get, as well as making a meal plan. Then I wrote down the articles of clothing we’d need. After budgeting some money towards emergencies and utilities, I relegated the rest to individual funds for both Naruto and myself.

Naruto finally came over and climbed into the chair next to me, peering at my kanji in confusion. “Eh? Whatcha doing, Rai?”

“Budgeting money.” I portioned out the actual ryo. “Get our wallets, please.”

He scrambled to do so and I secured his money in his wallet. “This is for you to spend,” I told him. Then I sectioned the rest of the money out into the different pockets in my own wallet. “We’ve gotta go shopping. First, though, we have to get dressed.” I slipped down from the chair and retrieved my disguise kit from out bag. It only took me a minute to hide my whisker marks and then I tucked my hair up into my beanie. Then I turned to him and concealed his own marks. Sitting back, I frowned at his hair. “We’ve gotta hide that,” I murmured. I tucked my wallet away, hooked my arm through his, and pulled him outside. When we reached the bottom floor, I knelt down and scooped up a good handful of dirt.

He peered at me curiously. “What are you—” He spluttered in surprise as I suddenly began messing the dirt into his hair, darkening it. “Wha?”

I stepped back and nodded. “Good.”

Shopping was just as awful as I remembered.

It was a bit more exciting when I was stealing things—there was a certain adrenaline aspect to the five-finger discount that I loved—but I actually had money this time, so I couldn’t exactly justify it. Besides, that would be an awful example to set for Naruto. So I went through it all the old, boring way, and it was a couple hours before we returned to the apartment, laden with bags. I distracted my brother with his coloring book and then hurried around the kitchen, scooting a stool around so I could properly reach everything. I smiled in satisfaction when the tasty aroma began to spread through our new home.

Naruto suddenly popped up next to me. “What’s that?” he asked in awe, staring at the food I was making.

“Stir-fry,” I said simply, dishing it out into two separate bowls. “Eat up!”

I sat down with him at the table, opening the new notebook I’d gotten myself for personal planning. I tapped my pen against the paper, considering the problem that had presented itself to me earlier in the week.

Uchiha Shisui.

The man—boy, really—was too precious too lose, in all honesty. I touched the ballpoint to the page and, after a bare moment of hesitance, began to write in my usual loopy English.

_The Shisui Initiative_

* * *

 

“See?” I asked excitedly, holding my beanie on with one hand as I stared down at the upside world below me. My audience clapped, some more excitedly than others.

“You’re so cool, Rai!” my brother beamed.

“Wow! Could you teach me?” Sasuke asked, gushing happiness.

Itachi had given me a respectful nod, which was high praise from him.

Shisui was grinned from ear to ear so brightly that I was afraid his face was going to crack.

I stopped the chakra flow to my feet and kicked off from the branch, flipping down to the ground below. “I perfected it last night.”

“How long have you been working on it?” the oldest Uchiha asked, flicking my nose.

I rubbed my stinging nose and frowned at him. “About a month,” I muttered. “It was hard, but I guess knowing the chakra light made it easier to learn.”

Itachi nodded vaguely in agreement. “Things do tend to work that way.” His gaze flicked towards Naruto and Sasuke, who had become disinterested in our conversation and were now racing towards the lake. The two cannonballed into the water and then came up spluttering, yelling about how cold it was. I giggled and sauntered over to the dock. As I moved, I glanced back. “Shisui! Are you going to teach me shogi, now?”

He chuckled. “Sure, kid.” He tugged sharply on one of my pigtails. “Let me go grab the board, okay? Try not to let anyone drown while I’m gone!” He disappeared.

I sat down on the edge of the dock, straining to dip my toes in the water. I blinked, looking down. _Lightbulb!_

**What is it now, brat?**

_I know how to start working on water-walking._ With a mild grin, I pulled off my shoes and wriggled my now-free feet. Then I rested them flatly on top of the water and began channeling chakra carefully.

“And here it is!” Shisui sat down on the other side of the end of the dock, the board between us. Itachi sat only a foot away in order watch. The oldest of the Uchiha began pointing out the separate pieces and explaining how they moved. When he was done, he offered me one of his jaw-straining grins. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

And so the game began.

It was a little like chess, I mused as I slid another piece forward. After a while, though it called for all of my concentration, so I stopped channeling chakra and pulled my wet feet back up to the wood. Shisui helpfully pointed out he was winning.

“I know,” I mumbled. “I wasn’t expecting to win my first time playing.”  I slid another piece. “You’re going to beat me in three moves.”

He blinked. “Eh? How?”

I raised an eyebrow. “You set me up for it perfectly and you didn’t even know?”

Itachi pointed to one of Shisui’s generals. “She can’t stop you from moving him in position to win. But once you’re there, she can block you. However, that leaves this pawn open for attack. If she blocks him, she has to remove her block from the general.”

“Oh . . . . Well, that works!”

“Watch out, dattebayo!”

Water splashed all over the three of us, washing the pieces off the board and onto the deck below. Groaning, Shisui carefully started drying them all off and packing the game away. Itachi sighed. I turned slowly to look at a bashful Sasuke and horrified Naruto. “Is that an invitation to a water fight, boys?”

Sasuke blinked, treading water and looking confused. Naruto, however, paled. “N-no! Rai, ya don’t need to—“

“Cannonball!” I leapt into the water, tucking my legs up to my chest. I could hear Naruto’s squeal, muffled through the water. Instead of returning to the surface, I dove forward and snagged Sasuke’s ankles, yanking him under. Then I lunged and grabbed him. When we resurfaced, I dug my fingers into his side. He tried to wiggle away, laughing so hard he looked ready to cry. I grinned. “You give? Surrender?”

“H-hai! S-stop!” he squeaked out.

I grinned and released him. Then I turned to Naruto. “Ready?”

Yeah, being the big sister has its perks.

* * *

 

Even though our apartment had two bedrooms, I discovered not too long after moving in that Naruto wasn’t particularly fond of the idea of being so far away from me. It didn’t bother me as much, since I could still hear his chakra, and I knew I would be thankful for the privacy when I got older. But he couldn’t hear me, or see me. Really, he didn’t have any assurance that I was there once he closed his door. So I wasn’t surprised when I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of my door opening.

“Nato?” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes and sitting up. “What is it?”

He shuffled across the floor and climbed into the bed beside me. That was when I saw the children’s book held tightly in his hand, one of the one’s he’d checked out from the library. It had become a ritual of sorts—if he had a nightmare, he would come to my room and I would read whatever story he brought until he fell asleep.

With that in mind, I let him tuck himself under my arm as I took the book from him. Children’s books in this world, I had discovered, were more similar to the Grimm’s Fairy Tales of my old world than the Disney princess films. Which would explain why the author’s name was Kira, of all things—and why in bold, dripping, red letters the title read _Goodnight._ Shrugging, I traced my fingers across the golden impression of a saurian wing on the black cover before flipping it open. I cleared my throat. “Ready?”

He nodded, his arms tight around my middle.

And so I began to read.

“She met the monster on a Tuesday. He was large, green, and scaly, but he still fit under her bed. She hadn’t meant to find him, and he hadn’t meant to be found, but fate works like that.”

Naruto brushed his fingers across the muted colored paintings on the page before allowing me to continue. The story carried on with the plot, telling about the girl’s struggle without a father and her mother’s love for her and how her mother always made sure to say goodnight. I was again violently reminded about this world’s different kind of storytelling when the mother was revealed to be a prostitute and was killed by a gang she regularly served. At that point, Naruto interrupted the story for clarification and I promised him he’d learn about it eventually. The last few pages spoke about the girl’s shift into an orphanage.

“And then something was scratching under her bed. It was large, green, and scaly, but she’d missed him. The lights went out and she sank down into her covers with a sad smile. Then she whispered, ‘Goodnight,’ because even monsters need to hear it.”

I didn’t close the book, staring at the last page and the painting of talons holding hands. Then I very slowly shut it and looked down. Naruto was fast asleep against my side and I smile, reaching across him to put the book on the nightstand. I flicked off the light and settled down. Then I paused.

_Goodnight, Kyuubi._

There was no reply.

* * *

 

I was cursing my handwriting when Naruto interrupted me.

“Hey, Rai?”

“Uh-huh?” I finished the kanji and then looked up. “What is it, Nato?”

“Why do you train so hard?” He sat down on the floor next to me, snuggling up against my arm in a way that pressed his goggles harshly into my skin.

“Because I want to be a strong shinobi. I want to be the best so I can . . . protect my precious people.” I set my notebook down and turned, ruffling his hair. “Why do you ask?”

“Can . . . can you teach me too?”

I had been teaching him, of course. But when I looked at the fiery expression in his eyes, I knew that he wanted more than a lesson on kanji. I smiled. “Why?”

“Because I wanna protect my precious people too. Teach me?”

I hesitated, gauging how serious he was. Then I smiled, gripping his hand. “Alright, then. I have some exercises for you to work on. You remember the exercises I do every morning?”

He nodded slowly.

“I want you to do those, okay? Until they’re easy. And then I’ll be able to teach you some harder stuff.”

He pouted. “But Rai—“

A knock sounded at our door and we both paused, glancing towards it. I rose to my feet, a hand on his shoulder to make sure he stayed put. Then I cautiously opened the door. “Yes?”

“Orphan stipend,” was all I heard before the man dropped a bag at my feet and moved away. I bent down and picked it up, hearing ryo click inside it. I turned back, closing and locking the door, to find Naruto had already started on the exercises despite his complaints. I paced into my room and grabbed my budgeting notebook from my nightstand. Then I sat down on my bed and dumped out the money. As I sat there counting it, I slowly began to frown.

“This isn’t nearly enough,” I muttered, counting it again. I was right. There was barely enough to last us for a week of groceries. A scowl twisted my face and I shook my head, shoving the ryo back into the pouch they’d been delivered in. Well, if they were going to stiff us on what we needed, then I knew exactly what I needed to do. Because there was no way I was going to the Hokage for anything else; the fewer favors I owed him, the better.

“Rai! Someone knocked again!”

I turned towards the living room, frowning but internally thankful that I had drilled it into Naruto’s head to let me open the front door. I hid the purse away in the drawer again and paced out into the main room just in time to hear another knock. The floor creaked under me as I moved, unlocking the door and opening it just a smidgen.

“Mirai-chan!” Yuugao squealed. “I was wondering if you wanted to come over and help me make dinner. Kotetsu and Izumo are joining us too.”

My mouth dried out and I glanced back at Naruto, who was doing pushups like his life depended on it. Dinner? With all four of them? I licked my lips. “Of course. We’ll be right over there.”

The kunoichi beamed at me and hurried back to her apartment. I turned, pulling on my shoes. “C’mon, Nato. We’ve got dinner plans.”

He paused mid-pushup—a mistake, because his elbows started trembling and just a moment later his arms gave out. He hit the floor with a thud and gasp of air. “Dinner plans, dattebayo?”

“Yep. Get your shoes on.” I waved at him and stood by the door as I waited.

**You’re losing valuable training time.**

_It’s dinner. It’s not that big of a deal._

**You’re making excuses.**

I knew he was right, but I didn’t want to pass this up. _They’re skilled shinobi. If I agree to get some training tips from them tonight, will you promise to shut up?_

He said nothing in return, so I took it as a yes. Naruto bounced over to me with a grin and I laughed, opening the door. He dashed outside ahead of me and I stepped after him, closing and locking the door firmly. I frowned at the handle. Really, a flimsy lock and key would do nothing against someone who actually wanted to break in. But until my skills were improved, there was nothing I could do about it. By the time I turned, Yuugao already had the door open and Naruto was inside. I smiled at her and hurried after them, not too comfortable will letting Naruto out of my sight now that we’d left the apartment. Yuugao shut the door behind me and I watched Naruto scamper off to the living room. “Kotetsu!” he squealed, dive-bombing into the chunin’s lap. The man’s resulting groan made me giggle and I joined Yuugao in the kitchen.

“What are we making?”

“Curry!”

I could feel my stomach aching for it already and I climbed onto the step stool she had in front of the counter for me. I glanced over my shoulder, satisfied that I could see Naruto just past the bar. Then I reached for the knife. “I’ll cut everything.”

The woman nodded and slid the cutting board over to me, along with the basket of produce. As we worked, I listened to Naruto boast to the men about how he was going to be the best Hokage ever. I smiled and turned towards the pot. Then I frowned. “Yuugao?”

“Hmm?”

“I feel like something’s missing.”

She blinked. “Well, I’m following the recipe.”

“Yeah, but . . . .” I bit my lip, trying to remember the way I’d made curry back Before. Of course. I hopped down from the stool and paced over to the pantry.

“What are you looking for?”

“Honey!” I announced, holding it up. “It’ll give it a little sweetness, too.”

She squinted at it, taking it curiously. “You’re sure?”

I nodded, grinning. “Yep!”

“Alright. I’m trusting you on this one. You’re the talented cook, after all,” she said, citing back to the multiple meals of mine she’d tried.

I was about to respond when frantic coughing from the living room grabbed my attention. Panic seized my heart and I whipped around, my gaze instantly finding Naruto. But it wasn’t him. Hayate doubled over, sounding like he was hacking up one of his lungs. I gulped nervously. Of course. His sickness. Another case of undeserved suffering in this screwed up universe.

“Mirai-chan?”

Blinking, I turned back to Yuugao and smiled. “Hai?”

She frowned, gaze flicking to Hayate and then back to me. “Why don’t you get everyone something to drink?”

I nodded in response, dragging the stool across the kitchen and using it to get down all the glasses. I raised my voice. “What do you want to drink?”

A grin cracked Izumo’s face. “Sake!” The other two men seconded his motion.

Naruto lit up. “I want sake too!” he said innocently.

I laughed a little at him, searching through the cupboards for the sake bottle. “As if. You’re getting milk, Nato. It’s good for you.” I found it and poured each of the men a little bit, trying to measure it out at about the same size of what I remembered a shot to be. I passed the drinks out and then poured Naruto a full glass of milk. “Here you go.”

He frowned at it and then reluctantly took it from me. “Fine,” he muttered. I grinned at him. Then I turned.

“Yuugao? Do you think you could help me with my kanji?”

* * *

 

“Rai, c’mon!”

I jumped, rough fingers closing tightly around the wallet I had just palmed. “I’m coming, Nato. There’s no need to be so impatient.” I glanced hesitantly back over my shoulder at the man we had passed. He didn’t seem to have noticed anything. With a sigh of relief, I shoved the wallet deep in my pocket and hurried my pace to match Naruto’s. “It’s not like we can be late. We never set a time, after all.”

“I know,” he whined. “But I wanna get there as fast as possible, dattebayo!” He raced on ahead and I ran after him, laughing. He crested the hill before me, disappearing down the other side. I sped up, fixating on his chakra. I reached the top of the hill and paused, looking down at the lake as Naruto raced down the dock to the Uchiha that were already there. Grinning, I raced down the hill.

“Shisui! Sasuke-kun! Konichiwa!”

They both glanced back at me and offered me waves. Then Naruto stumbled down the deck, colliding with Sasuke and knocking them both into the water. They surfaced, spluttering, and dissolved into yet another water war. Shisui rolled his eyes. “There they go again.”

“Where’s Itachi?”

“‘Tachi-chan has a mission. So you’re stuck with just me and Sasuke today.” He grinned down at me. “So. What do you want to do?”

I stared up at him, weighing my options. As I thought, I picked absently at the scarred skin the chakra burns had left on the palms of my hands. Part of me wanted to ask him to play another game of Ninja, but the other part of me—

**Train, you stupid brat.**

Ah, there was the delightful ball of fluff that never failed to brighten up my day. “Shisui?”

“Yep?”

“Do you think you could teach me a jutsu?”

He paused. Then he crouched down to my height, squinting at me. “Now why would you want that?”

“To get stronger.”

He snorted. “You sound like an Uchiha.”

“I sound like someone who wants to protect her brother.”

Shisui cocked his head at me. “A jutsu, huh? What are you wanting to learn?”

I shoved my hands in my pockets, rocking back and forth on my feet. “Kawarimi, please.” It would be the most practical to begin with, after all. Given my reserves, bunshin was unlikely. And henge required more finesse; at least that was what I had gathered from all my reading.

“Alright. It’s like this.” He raised his hands. “Tiger seal.”

I lifted my hands into the sign I’d been practicing for months.

“Boar. Ox. Just like that. Then it’s dog. And finally, snake.” He grinned at me, a twinkle in his eye. “You think you’ve got all that?”

I grinned and paused for just a moment before repeating the pattern, my fingers falling almost naturally into the seals. All that training was finally paying off.

“Alright, show off.” He put a hand on my head, shoving me playfully. “The idea is to gather your chakra and stretch it from you to wherever you’re going—kinda like a rubber band. When you do the snake seal, you release and and you and your target switch places.”

“Wow, simple,” I muttered sarcastically, knowing it was going to be anything but. I was rewarded with a flick to the nose and a unimpressed look.

“Watch closely, okay?” He whipped out a kunai and tossed it several yards away. It stuck upright out of the ground. “You’ll be switching with that.”

“But isn’t that a . . . pretty small target?”

His grin wasn’t exactly a nice one. “Here goes. Tiger, boar, ox, dog, snake. Kawarimi.”

I peered closely, determined to figure out how he was doing it. But the moment smoke erupted, I felt an all-too-familiar burning in my veins. The ground rushed up, meeting me as my vision spun. I crumpled, clutching my head and swallowing the pathetic whimpers that struggled to surface. The air around me turned to water, muffled and hollow and cold. A shiver wound its way around my spine and up my throat, tickling the inside of my mouth. I coughed violently, feeling harsh and burning air scrape against my tongue. A rhythmic sound boomed through the liquid air around me, vaguely familiar but yet so very foreign.

Cold splashed across my face and I spluttered on water, snapping up. My eyes stung and my beanie clung wetly to my ears as I shuddered, shaking off some of the water. “Wh-what—“

“Ah! She lives!”

“Rai!” I barely registered Naruto’s voice before something hit me hard, knocking me back on the ground and proceeding to crush my ribcage.

“N-nato!” I gasped. “Air!”

“Oh! Sorry, dattebayo!” The oppressive weight vanished. “Are you okay? You fell asleep and you wouldn’t wake up and—“

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I mumbled, dragging myself back up into a sitting position. I glanced up at Shisui, who was frowning at me with his arms crossed. A sheepish smile touched my face. “I probably should have mentioned that I’m chakra-hypersensitive.”

“Yeah, you probably should have.” And just like that, he dashed through several hand seals and I felt another glob of water splash over me, along with more fire in my chakra coils. I sighed sullenly and glanced at Sasuke and Naruto, who were doing their best not to crack up.

“Go ahead,” I muttered. “You can laugh.” The two burst out into guffaws and I glanced up at the Uchiha. “I deserved that.”

“Yes. Yes, you did. Now, are you going to learn the kawarimi or what?”

I blinked, rising to my feet and shaking myself off. “Wait, you mean you’re still going to teach me?”

“Where else are you going to manage to find such an awesome teacher? You’re gonna struggle with hypersensitivity no matter when you learn this jutsu, so might as well learn it now.” He sat down cross legged. “The best way to start is to focus on molding the chakra the way you need it—no hand seals, no release. Once you have it, slowly return it back to your body.”

I heard Sasuke mutter something about this being boring, followed by splashes just a couple moments later as they both returned to the water. I took a deep breath and sat down, closing my eyes in order to focus. Grass rustled and Shisui’s voice was suddenly behind me. “Just focus and stretch your chakra.”

I reached down inside, drawing up the warmth settled deep in my bones. Stretching it out was odd, almost like working with pizza dough; I was afraid that it I moved it too far, too fast it would tear. Then I paused, my chakra stretched out of my body and out towards . . . nothing, really.

“Good. Now slowly return it.”

Slowly return it. Where had I heard that before? I began to pull my chakra back to me when I realized what it was. Archery. My chakra was like a bow, where you had to relax the string to keep from shooting the arrow. Of course it—

“Mirai, slow—“

My chakra snapped and the world screeched around me. Blood flipped in my body, draining to my head and wrapping around my throat like a noose. I gasped for air and it was getting harder and harder and harder to breathe. No air, no lungs; there was just fire burning in my chest cavity. I hit something hard and tried to bite back a whimper. I bit my tongue instead and coughed. Something vice-like closed around my ankle.

“Careful, now.”

I gasped, breath croaking against my windpipe, and blinked to clear my vision. Blood pooled above my ears and I stared at the Uchiha.

“You’re upside down.”

He scoffed and his fingers uncurled around my ankle. I squeaked as the floor soared towards me and I hit it hard. Grunting, I sat up and spat dirt out of my mouth. “Alright, so I—“

“Mirai, what’s this?”

I rubbed my wrist across my mouth and wrinkled my nose at the grit on my tongue. “What’s what?” I glanced back at him and felt cement line my throat. “Uh, Shisui, I-I-I can—“

“This isn’t yours,” he said, holding the wallet between two of his fingers and giving me an accusing stare. “Where’d you get this?”

My hand went to my pocket where the wallet had been just minutes before. I felt some tension relax from my shoulders when I found the other stolen purse still deep in my pocket. “I found it.”

He crouched down to my level and tapped me on the nose with the wallet. “Mirai, you’re lying,” he said in a singsong voice. “Why did you steal this?”

I glared at him, weighing my options. If I told him why, chances are he would tell the Hokage. And I didn’t want the old man’s help with anything else; owing him too many favors would give the man far too much power over me. But I really didn’t have much of a choice. So I tensed my jaw and tilted my chin up. “We need to eat too, you know.”

“You don’t get money for food?”

I scoffed, crossing my arms. “Two things. One, those jerks that hand out the orphan stipend think it’s okay to stiff us out of ninety percent of our monthly paycheck. Two, do you really think that _we_ are charged fair prices?”

His sharp eyes narrowed. “You should have told the Hokage.”

I couldn’t help the scowl that twisted my expression. I was tired of pretending I liked the old man. “I want to owe him _nothing,”_ I hissed. “The less leverage I give him to _use_ me, the better.”

**You’re getting carried away.**

_I was going to tell him, anyway._

**Now?**

_No . . . . Not yet._

His brow furrowed and he muttered, “Use you?” Then his eyes widened and he leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Mirai. You’re a smart one, aren’t you?” he whispered. His gaze flicked down to my shirt—or, more accurately, the place where he knew my shirt hid a seal. Then he watched me closely, waiting for my answer. I knew that whatever I said next was crucial. There was no going back after this, because someone would know.

“I like to think I am,” I murmured, not dropping my gaze.

His jaw tightened and he leaned back, sitting down fully. His gaze flicked across my face before he turned his head to stare out at the two boys in the water. “So you know.”

“Of course I do.”

“I should tell the Hokage about this.”

My throat closed up. “Don’t,” I hissed. “Please don’t. I don’t want him to think I’m smarter than he already knows I am. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what Konoha does to _prodigies._ I can’t let him take me away from Naruto.”

He frowned again. It was an expression I’d never seen on him before today, but now I was seeing it a lot. “Mirai—“

“If you tell him,” I said quietly, “I’ll never forgive you.”

He snapped his mouth shut and squinted at me, crossing his arms. “That’s a big secret to keep from the Hokage.”

“Where does it say I need to tell him about this? If he knew that _I_ knew, I’m sure he would waste no time with putting me in the Academy already. And I told you: I won’t leave Naruto.”

The Uchiha hummed, gaze dropping away from me to the wallet in his hands as he turned it over. Then he lifted it and waved it at me. “Nevertheless, you shouldn’t steal.”

I blinked, pulling back. “I— You won’t tell? About the . . . or the—“

“No. You deserve to be a little kid.” He tucked the wallet away. “I’ll make sure that this gets back to its original owner.”

My eyes widened. “But the money—“

“Hey.” He held up a hand. “You deserve to eat, too. Luckily, you’ve got the awesome Uchiha Shisui as a friend, right? Now try stretching your chakra again. And this time, _don’t_ snap it.”

* * *

 

I bounced my feet on the water, regulating my chakra flow as I studied the book in my lap. Leaning against my back, Naruto whined. “Where _are_ they?”

“They’ll be here soon, Nato,” I murmured, turning the page and studying the diagram presented. “You need to learn to be patient.” I reached over and dug in my backpack for my notebook. Flipping it open, I laid it across the book and tapped my pen against my lips. “Quadrant one,” I murmured, tracing the diagram with my gaze. I frowned, trying to reconcile this new sealing theory with the varying ones I’d read before. It seemed no one could agree on the best fuuinjutsu method; that, of course, left me with a lot of room for experimentation. But it also made it harder for me to find a place to start.

“Rai! I’m _bored!”_

I felt my right eyebrow twitching in annoyance, but I took a deep breath. Naruto, no matter how childish he could be, was always priority. I closed my notebook and my book, tucking them away in my bag. Then I turned to face him. “How have your exercises been going?”

“I’m learning. I’m going to be the best shinobi ever, dattebayo!”

I smiled at him. “I know you will be, Nato, but you still need to work hard. How are your splits?”

“Rai,” he whined. “I showed you this morning!”

I chuckled and rose to my feet, slinging the backpack over my shoulder. “I know you did. You’ve gotten really good. You’ve improved a lot.”

He lit up. “Really?”

“Of course.” I took his hand and we walked down the dock to the grass. “While we’re waiting, do you want to play a game?”

He blinked slowly. “Game? Like what?”

I dropped the bag again, scooting it aside with my foot. “Hide and seek? You’re it! Count to thirty, okay?”

Absolutely giddy, he covered his eyes and started counting. I dashed away as quickly as I could without making too much noise—stealth training was hard to do with Naruto interrupting me ever few minutes—and escaped down the dock. Humming chakra across my hands, I reached under and pressed my palms against the wood. I took a deep breath and then kicked off, flipping over and under. I bent my body up close to keep from getting wet, but my feet dragged a bit and I could feel the hem of my pants sagging as they soaked up water. My hands scraped a little against the wood, but I stayed in place. Breathing a sigh of relief, I carefully regulated my chakra and swung my feet up, sticking them too. Then I crawled away from the end of the dock, waiting. A few seconds later, I heard Naruto finish counting.

“Here I come, Rai!”

He was loud as he ran and I could hear him searching everywhere. I giggled. My hands budged a little and I sucked in my breath, refocusing myself.

“Shisui! Itachi! Teme!”

I sighed. While Naruto’s little . . . nickname for Sasuke was almost endearing, it wasn’t exactly appropriate. Judging by Shisui’s loud laughter, though, it seemed he didn’t have a problem with it. “What’re you up to?”

“Hide and seek with Mirai! Do you want to play? I can’t find her, dattebayo.”

“We’ll help you look.” That was Itachi. I groaned internally. They were going to find me easily, now. I closed my eyes, listening to them running everywhere. I opened them again.

“Good morning, Mirai-chan!”

I squeaked, losing my chakra control and splashing down into the water below. Something tugged on my shirt and I found myself lifted up by my collar, the cloth tight under my arms. I glared at him. “Shisui! Naruto was supposed to find me.”

“Oh, sorry, _Taichou,”_ he said sarcastically. “I thought I was invited to play.” He dragged both of us back up onto the grass. “How about you’re it this time, Mirai?”

I groaned. “Fine. I’m it!” I announced to everyone else. Then I put my hands over my eyes. “One, two, three.” Really, the only challenge would be finding Itachi and Shisui. Naruto was the same beacon of chakra he always was, and Sasuke’s own signature was easy to find. “Twelve, thirteen, fourteen.” Naruto’s chakra was off to my left. What was he running around for? If he kept goofing off like that, he wouldn’t be able to even have time to hide. “Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty—“ The word stuck in my throat and I snapped my eyes open, hands going rigid. “Naruto,” I whispered. Then I whirled around in the direction his chakra had disappeared in. “Naruto!” I yelled, cresting the hill. I felt his chakra against, bright and confused as he stared at me from his spot behind the rock. Shisui and Itachi appeared next to him in a flash, Sasuke in tow.

My brother cocked his head at me. “Rai, what—“

“Don’t do that!” I yelled. “I couldn’t hear you anymore. Something could have happened to you! You _know_ you’re not supposed to go that far away! If I can’t hear you, I can’t find you. And if I can’t find you, then I can’t keep you safe!” My chest was heaving and my face was burning, though I wasn’t sure if it was from my anger or my fear.

Naruto shrank back, his eyes wide and watery. “I . . . I was just playing the game, dattebayo,” he whimpered, huddled in on himself.

And just like that, I felt like someone had slapped me. I glanced at the Uchiha. Sasuke was staring at me in shock. Itachi looked as impassive as ever, though I could see the slight downturn to his eyebrow. And Shisui was frowning at me, arms crossed. I looked down at my brother, who was looking away and sniffling in an attempt to hold back his tears. I fell to my knees and scooted forward. “Nato,” I murmured, reaching out for him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you. I was just—“ I pulled my hand back. No, no excuses. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have screamed.” I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. “Will you forgive me?”

I felt fingers, small like mine, close around my hand. I opened my eyes and smiled at him. But before I could say anything, he threw himself at me with a cry. “N-no, I’m sorry, Rai. I shouldn’t have gone so far away.”

“It’s not your fault.” I sat back, holding him close. I laced my fingers in his hair. “You don’t need to apologize.”

**You’re disgusting.**

_What now, Kyuubi?_ I snarled at him.

**You preach to me about how you’re going to get stronger. And then you can’t even handle being separated from the yellow brat for even a couple seconds. How are you ever going to train and improve as much as you need to if you can’t get away from him?**

I didn’t answer, releasing Naruto and watching as he climbed to his feet. Kurama was right, of course. But just the idea of not being able to feel Naruto’s chakra—of not being able to know where he was or that he was safe—made my stomach turn over.

“Mirai.”

I jerked my head up. “Hai, Itachi?”

“I do believe you just had a minor panic attack.”

I blinked slowly. He was right. I chewed on my lip. “I . . . I can’t help it. When I can’t hear Naruto’s chakra anymore, I can’t help that I freak out.”

“Maybe you need to get used to it,” Shisui put in. When I turned to him curiously, he elaborated. “You need to get used to the feeling of _not_ feeling Naruto’s chakra.”

Hot rocks were settling in my gut and the air was growing thin. “B-but—“

“Naruto-kun will be safe with me. I’ll take him and Sasuke back to the Compound for lunch. Shisui will take you somewhere so you can get food. It will only be a couple hours.” Itachi placed a hand on Naruto and another on Sasuke.

My eyes widened. “Wait, don’t—“

Smoke puffed around them and I felt chakra burning in my veins. I shrieked at the backlash from the jutsu—more chakra than Shisui had put in his kawarimi—and fell back. I raised my fist to my mouth, biting on my knuckles to muffle the sounds. I couldn’t feel Naruto’s chakra, I couldn’t feel Naruto’s chakra, I couldn’t feel Naruto’s chakra, I couldn’t feel Naruto’s chakra, I couldn’t feel Naruto’s chakra, I couldn’t feel Naruto’s chakra, I couldn’t feel Naruto’s chakra, I couldn’t feel Naruto’s chakra, I couldn’t—

“Whoa, Mirai. It’s alright. Naruto’s safe, remember? He’s with Itachi. He’s fine. He’s _safe.”_

I couldn’t feel Naruto’s chakra, I couldn’t feel Naruto’s chakra, I couldn’t feel Naruto’s chakra, I couldn’t feel Naruto’s chakra, I—

“Deep breath, Mirai. Deep breath. Naruto. Is. Safe.”

Safe. Naruto is safe. But I couldn’t feel his chakra and I couldn’t see him. All I could see was black, black, black—

**Again. Disgusting. Get ahold of yourself. How do you ever expect to become a strong shinobi with this sniveling attitude? And how will you protect the yellow brat then?**

“Deep breaths. You can do it. He’s fine. You’re fine.”

Safe. Naruto was safe. I forced out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, instantly gasping for more air. “Safe,” I muttered. “Safe, safe, safe.”

“That’s right. He’s safe. You can open your eyes now.”

My eyes were closed? I opened them slowly, squinting against the light that seemed so much brighter than it had been just a few moments ago. “Naruto. He’s—“

“With Itachi. Remember?” Shisui beamed down at me. “Look at you. You’re going to do just fine.”

I climbed to my feet and reached for my backpack with shaky hands. I was almost trembling too much to move, but I managed a few steps in the direction of the Village. “I-I can’t believe you did this to me.”

“Relax. It’s better for you in the long run. What kind of shinobi would you be if your calm and collected attitude relied on how close your baby brother is?”

“He’s not my _baby_ brother,” I muttered, legs shaking like jell-o. I dropped to my knees and dug my fingers into the dirt, trying to collect myself. I felt like someone had removed one of my ribs and stabbed me with it. “He’s my brother.”

“You’re bleeding.”

I glanced down at my knuckles, frowning at the skin my teeth had broken through. “I’m fine. Let’s go.” I forced myself onto my weak feet and started walking.

“And just where do you think you’re going?”

“To the Uchiha Compound to get my brother back,” I snapped at him.

“Oh, no you aren’t.” He gripped my shoulders and turned me so I was pointed the other way. “We’re going to Ichiraku’s.”

I scowled but obediently moved in that direction. My feet felt like lead and it was getting harder and harder to keep moving away from where I knew Naruto was. “I don’t like this.”

“That’s the whole point. You’re not supposed to like it. If you’re always enjoying training, you’re doing it wrong.”

“This isn’t training,” I muttered.

“That’s exactly what it is. We’re training you to be okay with not being near your brother. And we’re training you to trust him to be fine on his own.” We stepped onto the first street and he finally released me, turning in the direction of the ramen stand.

“I still don’t like it.”

“Good for you,” he chirped, all too cheerful. Then he reached in his pocket and pulled out a small drawstring bag. “Hands out.”

I blinked and looked up, extending my hands towards him. He dropped the bag in my palms and I heard the soft clink of ryo. “Shisui, is this—“

“Just a little cut from my last mission. Should last you and Naruto for the rest of the month, right? Besides, I’m sure you can figure out a way to shop so that they don’t know it’s you.”

_“I’m_ not the problem. It’s the fact that, no matter what, I can’t seem to get Naruto to make sure people don’t realize he’s _Naruto_. He won’t really do it unless I give him and explanation _why,_ and I don’t really want to do that.”

“Well, you’ll just have to go shopping on your own, won’t you?”

I arched an eyebrow, glancing towards him as I stowed the money away. “On . . . my own?”

“Don’t believe for a second that this is enough to get you comfortable with being away from him.” He pushed me playfully and I stumbled for a moment. “You’ll just have to leave him at home.”

My eyes widened. “Leave him at—“

“Here we are!” Shisui hopped up onto one of the stools and started ordering.

I swallowed thickly and climbed up on the stool next to him. “Salt ramen, please.”

Teuchi glanced at me and beamed. “Ah, Mirai-chan! One of my favorite customers! Where’s Naruto-chan?”

I glanced to my right, where he normally sat, and hesitated. “Um, with a friend.”

The man turned to make the food. “Funny. I have a hard time imagining you letting him go anywhere without you.”

“Yeah, it’s sure _funny_ how things turn out,” I said, glaring at Shisui. He held up his hands, shrugging, and I sighed. I knew this was for the better, but I couldn’t stop the way my heart was still racing in fear.

* * *

 

“How did you find out?”

I glanced at him. “Find out about what? The Kyuubi?”

He glanced nervously over his shoulder, as if he was expecting someone to be listening in. Then he glanced at me and nodded once.

I swung my legs, feet grazing the water. “Well . . . .” Then I turned slightly towards him and pulled my shirt up just enough to show part of my stomach. “When I mold chakra, the seal does this.” I summoned my chakra light and ink bled across my skin, swirling into a seal. “It’s part of why I want to learn fuuinjutsu.”

“You want to be a seal master?”

“Hai.” I dropped my shirt hem back down and scooted forward so I could bounce my feet on the water, regulating my chakra.

“Water-walking?”

“I’ve almost got the chakra levels down. Then I’ll try actually moving. I—“

He held up a hand. “Here they are.”

I jerked to my feet, whipping around. They shunshined just in front of the dock and I could feel the jutsu fraying my veins. My knees trembled and gave way for a moment, but Shisui caught my elbow and I straightened. “Nato!”

“Rai!” he squealed, racing for me. I held up my arms, expecting him to slow as he neared me. But he didn’t, hitting me head on. I squeaked and my instinct was to send chakra to my feet. I swayed backwards a bit, almost over the edge of the dock, but my chakra kept me put. I wrapped my arms around him and he buried his face in my shoulder. “I missed you,” he murmured.

I chuckled, not willing to admit how badly I had been panicking the entire time. That only made Itachi and Shisui all the more correct, not that I wanted them to be. If I could, Naruto would never leave my side again. But that wasn’t fair, to him or to me. I glanced towards Shisui. _Arigato,_ I mouthed.

He chuckled. “How’s that jutsu coming?”

I untangled myself from Naruto and he reluctantly let me go. I paced forward, curling my bare toes into the grass, and aligned myself with my backpack sitting a good ten feet away. I lifted my hands, muttering to myself. “Tiger, boar, ox.” As I said them, I stretched my chakra out, knowing that my speed would improve with time. “Dog, snake. Kawarimi!” I released, letting the chakra snap like a rubber band. I wobbled for a moment, regaining my bearings. Then I turned, looking at my bag sitting where I had been a moment before. My chakra coils burned, but I grinned at the Uchiha. “Tada!”

Itachi glanced sharply at him. “You taught her kawarimi,” he said accusingly.

The older shinobi shrugged. “She asked for it. I can’t say no to an adorable face like that.”

I wrinkled my nose. I might be five physically, but mentally I was at least sixteen. Adorable wasn’t exactly a word I enjoyed being used to describe me. “Well?” I asked, putting my hands on my hips. “How was it?”

“You learned it pretty quick,” Shisui said, grinning at me. “I only showed that to you last month.”

“Well, I’m not dumb.”

**Could’ve fooled me.**

I ignored him, pacing over to my backpack and slinging it across my shoulders. “Well, after this _exciting_ day, I think Naruto and I should go. We promised Tenten and Lee we were going to meet them at the park, remember?” I held out my hand.

Naruto lit up and bounced forward, his hand fitting into mine. “Let’s go, dattebayo!”

I waved to them. “See you later.” I tugged on my brother’s hand and started up the hill. I glanced at him. “Want to see what I got?”

His eyes widened. “What? Whatcha get?”

I released his hand and shifted my backpack around, digging in it for a moment. I pulled out a thick book, only about as wide as my hand and just an inch or two taller. It was held together with three metal rings. The covers were made of hardened wood and the paper inside was thick and durable. The word _bingo_ was carved into the front cover. I held it up for him to see, turning us in the direction of the park. “It’s a bingo book.” I flipped it open to the first page, which held the entry for the Sandaime Hokage. It was a Konoha issued book, so it was detailed and held information on every missing nin in existence, as well as any shinobi that had a bounty—which included just about anyone above the rank of genin. Technically, only shinobi were allowed to buy it. But that loophole was easy to get to when I just handed Shisui the money.

“Whoa,” Naruto breathed, eyes wide. “Jiji is super strong!”

I chuckled and tucked the bingo book away. We reached the park and I took Naruto’s hand again, marching purposely forward and ignoring the mutters of the people around us, who suddenly seemed like they couldn’t leave fast enough.

“Mirai-chan! Naruto-chan!” Tenten jumped to her feet with a squeal and raced towards us. “Wanna play?”

I grinned, but it faltered when I glimpsed their kunai pouches. I tilted my head to the side. Now, why would they— Of course. “How’s the Academy?”

“It’s okay,” Tenten said, glancing to her right at Lee. “We found out Lee can’t use chakra, though.”

Naruto pouted. “Aw. But you can still be a kick ass shinobi!”

“Language,” I reprimanded.

He glanced at me. “I mean, he can still fight real cool and stuff! Even without chakara.”

“Chakra,” I corrected.

“Right.” He beamed at Lee. “You’ll still be an awesome shinobi, dattebayo!”

Lee lit up. “You really think so?”

I grinned, watching his gaze flick from Naruto to me. “I know so.”

* * *

 

“Why are we going to the, uh . . . .” Naruto frowned, squinting as he tried to remember.

“Jonin Station,” I reminded him gently, consulting the map again to make sure we were headed in the right direction. I knew the real reason; I missed my ANBU family, and the Jonin Station was the one place where it would be easy to find them again. Genma and Kakashi were the only ones I would recognize on sight, of course. But there was alway the possibility of me recognizing one of them by smell, just like I’d done with Mokin. I tuck the map away. I couldn’t tell Naruto that, of course. So I gave him a different reason, though it was just as real. “There’s a bunch of super strong shinobi there. If you’re going to be Hokage and I’m going to be ANBU, then we need to learn, right? I’m sure they can help us learn.”

“Oh.” He blinked. “Right.”

“Here it is.” I stopped in front of the small building, cocking my head to the side. Then I took a deep breath, taking his hand and stepping up the stairs. I pushed the door open. It was well lit, but the room was small. One door and a set of stairs going to some sort of basement. I moved forward and pushed the door open. A bathroom? I glanced towards the stairs. Down there, then?

“C’mon. This way.” I tugged him after me and walked down the stairs. It got darker the farther down we went. We reached the door at the bottom and I released him, reaching for the doorknob. I pushed the door open and my jaw dropped.

It was huge. Shinobi were _everywhere,_ surrounding the TV and the couches and the kitchen and all the tables. It was gigantic, much larger than I had expected.

“Hey, what are a couple of little kids like you doing here?”

I blinked, looking up at the shinobi. A grin split my face. “Kamano-san!”

The teenager crouched down to our height. “Mirai-chan,” he greeted cordially. “What are you doing here?” he asked again.

Naruto lit up. “We wanna find someone to teach us!”

“Teach you?”

He nodded. “We’re gonna be strong shinobi! We need some sensei!”

The chunin chuckled. “Well, my team is here, if you want to meet them.” He motioned to us and we followed him across the room to a group of couches. “These are my genin teammates: Yanagikage Kokage and Kanden Tekuno.”

I peered up at the two chunin. Kokage glanced down at us and I cocked my head to the side. I didn’t recognize him from anything—I was sure I would have remembered the purple triangle tattooed on his left cheek. Next to him, Tekuno squinted down at us, running a hand through his thick, curly hair. I bowed my head to them. “Konichiwa, Kanden-san, Yanagikage-san. It’s an honor to meet shinobi such as yourselves.”

“Saisu, who are the brats?” Kokage asked, crossing his arms.

“Uzumaki Mirai and Naruto.”

“Well, they’re pretty cute,” Tekuno said, grinning and squatting down. “How old are you guys? Two?”

Naruto made a face. “I’m five!” he said, holding up one hand.

Saisu put a hand on each of our heads. “They’re looking for someone to teach them a thing or two.”

Kokage arched an eyebrow. “I be they don’t even have anything for us to work with. I doubt they even know what chakra _is.”_

Saisu rolled his eyes. “Now, be nice, Kokage, they’re just kids.”

“Yeah! And Rai can already use chakara!”

“Chakra,” I corrected.

“Right! She’s super smart! Rai can already do jus— jut— just—“

“Jutsu?” Saisu asked, tilting his head to the side. “You know jutsu, Mirai-chan.”

I tucked my hands behind my back, offering a small smile. “Just kawarimi.”

Kokage arched an eyebrow. “Kawarimi? A little brat like you? As if.”

I frowned, feeling my pride take the blow. “You don’t believe us?”

“Of course not. No five year old can do that.”

Naruto scowled, balling his hands into fists. “Rai can!”

“Prove it,” the chunin muttered.

I knew he was baiting me, but my anger burned inside of me. “Fine,” I hissed. “But if I prove it, then you have to teach me something. Deal?”

“Deal,” he agreed cooly.

I turned, glancing around for something good to switch with. Someone tapped my shoulder and I glanced up at at Saisu. “Hai?”

He crouched down and pointed at the potted plant about twenty feet away. “There you go.”

I frowned. It was farther than I had ever gone before, but I was sure I could do it. I ran through the hand seals and reached out my chakra. “Kawarimi!” I snapped forward, acid burning in my coils. I bit my lip fiercely to keep from whimpering. I jerked to a stop and bent my knees to soften the impact. I turned to see the stupefied look on Kokage’s face, only to find that the group of shinobi I’d landed in was staring at me.

“Mirai-chan?”

I ran my gaze across all the faces of the shinobi before I found the person who’d spoken. “Mo—“ I caught myself. “Genma!” I dashed forward and leapt into his lap, even though I was much bigger than when I used to do it.

He grunted, plucking the senbon hurriedly from his mouth to make sure I didn’t impale myself. He glanced between me and the place I’d just appeared. “Was that . . . .”

“Kawarimi?” I beamed at him. “Hai!” Then I blinked and hurriedly hopped up, rushing back over to the others. I pointed at Kokage. “You owe me a lesson.”

He squinted down at me before rolling his eyes and turning away. I watched as he walked towards the kitchen, my jaw dropping. _Is he really just leaving?_

**Can’t trust everyone, brat.**

I scowled, crossing my arms. _Why that yellow-bellied, cowardly, son of a—_

“Take this.”

I blinked, looking at the hand in front of my face holding what looked like . . . tissue paper? I took it curiously and glanced up at Kokage. “What’s this for?”

“Chakra paper. It’ll test your chakra nature.”

“Kokage,” Saisu murmured warningly. “You can’t teach a little kid elemental jutsu.”

Kokage shrugged. “Hey, if she’s old enough to know kawarimi.” He glanced towards me as I gently pushed my chakra into the sheet. “Besides, what’s the chance she’ll have—“

Chakra buzzed against my fingertips like the chill of winter and the paper ripped loudly in half.

“—wind . . . chakra.” He blinked. “Okay. You’re lucky, brat. Not many in Konoha have a fuuton nature.”

I nodded, sniffing as I smelled a familiar scent. I barely glanced back. “Genma!”

“Hey, kiddo.” He patted me on my beanie and glanced at the others. “What’s going on here?”

“Yanagikage-san is going to teach me a jutsu,” I said, smiling up at him.

To my surprise, Genma’s expression pulled into a frown and he rolled his senbon between his teeth. His gaze flicked to Kokage. “You can’t do that.”

I blinked. “Ehh? Why ever not?”

He glanced at me and crouched down, pinching my cheeks. “You’re chakra hypersensitive, remember? Remember what happened last time someone used a big jutsu around you? You ended up in the hospital.”

I pouted, offering my best puppy dog eyes. “But Genma,” I whined. “I’ll be fine. It hurts, but I’m getting used to it. I promise!” I put my hands on my hips. “Besides, how do you expect me to become a shinobi if I can’t learn jutsu.”

“You’re five.”

“We’re almost six!” Naruto piped up. “Who are you, by the way? How do you know Rai, dattebayo? And about her chakara—“

“Chakra,” I amended.

“—hysenmativity.”

I sighed. “Hypersensitivity, Nato.” Then I turned to Kokage. “So, Yanagikage-sensei. What are you going to teach me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Answer: Personally, I would have to say my favorite is henge. While the others are definitely awesome and should really be used way more (especially kawarimi), I just can’t argue against the idea of looking however I want. Just the bare bones of henge gives me so many idea for what it would make possible.
> 
> Question: In regards to the PJO fandom, who’s your godly parent?
> 
> Today’s suggested fanfic: Of the River and the Sea by Aleycat4eva. (Warning: Only start this fanfic if you’re willing to put aside your life entirely until you finish it. It’s fantastic.) (on FF.net)


	6. Chapter Five - Cognizance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Cognizance—noun. 1: awareness or realization; notice; perception 2: the range or scope of knowledge, observation, etc.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I do hope I’m not making Mirai too strong too quickly, though I do have quite a bit of logic and reasoning behind her advancement. She has a huge advantage over basically every other little kid ever—a previous life. This not only gives her a ton of pre-knowledge and intelligence, but it also has increased her Yin reserves in a way that allows her own chakra to somewhat balance her crazy Uzumaki energy/Kyuubi youkai. This allows for extra useable chakra, which allows for longer practice sessions. Also, Sasuke was only about six or seven when he learned his first katon jutsu, so that shows that elemental manipulation at this young of an age isn’t really that far off—especially for a ‘genius.’ In this chapter, Mirai continues to improve in her willingness to trust Naruto’s safety to others, but her anxiety is far from gone.
> 
> Don’t forget that feedback is always welcomed and encouraged. So please read and review!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Kishimoto-sensei own Naruto. Me no Kishimoto-sensei. Me no own Naruto.
> 
> I give you the sixth installment of Samsaric.

_Is this plagiarism?_ I asked myself, sitting my crying brother across from me on the couch. _Technically, no one in this world has said it,_ I thought, answering my own question. With that in mind, I cleared my throat. “You see, Nato, every person has two wolves inside them.” I pressed a hand to my chest to illustrate my point and smiled when he did the same, his eyes wide in wonder and confusion. “One of the wolves is named Evil, and he represents all the bad things in the world: hatred, lying, envy, slothfulness, pride, and cruelty, just to name a few. This wolf is starved and angry and always screaming for more.”

“More what?” he asked quietly, sniffling and rubbing his eyes. Though his sobs had stopped, the tears hadn’t.

“More of everything. Evil wants everything for himself, and he hoards it. He’s selfish like that.”

“And he’s inside?” he asked, curling his fingers into his shirt fearfully.

I held up my hand to let him know I wasn’t done. “The other wolf is named Good. Good represents a lot of things too: honesty, love, happiness, peace—“

“Family!” Naruto cut in excitedly.

I nodded. “And family too. But Good is also hungry. Good also wants things, but he doesn’t want them just for himself. He wants all people to have these things. And these two wolves—Evil and Good—are always fighting inside you, and me, and everyone else. Constantly brawling and biting and trying to beat the other.”

His eyes widened. “But . . . who wins?”

I smiled and pressed my scarred palm against his chest, right over where his heart was. “The one you feed, Nato. It’s the choices you make that decide whether Evil or Good get the food. And the one that gets fed the most is the one that wins.” I moved my hand up and brushed his tears away with my thumb.

“So . . . you’re saying those people . . . and the things they said to me . . . they feed the first wolf, Evil, dattebayo?”

“At least a little bit,” I agreed. “But no one feeds _just_ Evil, Nato, just like no one feeds only Good. We feed both of them at least a little. So even if they fed Evil today, Good is still in there somewhere. I feed Good as much as I can,” I said, pointing at myself. “But sometimes, my Evil gets fed too.”

He sniffled, pulling his legs up to his chest and hugging them. “It still hurts,” he whispered.

“I know it does, sweetheart,” I murmured, dragging him into a hug. “I know it does.”

A loud knock on our door made us jump apart and I climbed to my feet. I walked over to the door and cautiously opened it, peering out. Then I blinked. What was the Hokage doing here?

**It’s been a year, you stupid brat.**

_A year? What—_ Oh. I really needed to invest in a calendar. Now that I no longer had Tenten or Lee to rely on for the date, I needed to keep better track. I had known our birthday was coming up, of course—I’d even managed to make myself leave Naruto at home while I got his birthday present—but I hadn’t known that it was _today_. “Oyaji,” I said, stepping reluctantly aside and letting him in.

He stepped inside with a smile, patting me on the head. I kept my features smooth, despite the scowl I wanted to give him. “Mirai-chan. Naruto-chan. You’re getting so big, now. Six years old already?”

“Jiji!” Naruto cheered, scrambling up from the couch with his crying fest completely forgotten.

“Happy birthday, Naruto-chan!”

I locked the door and turned, watching as the Hokage pulled out a scroll. The Sandaime sat down at the table and then unsealed the scroll’s contents. I winced at the chakra use, but joined them at the table. Two large, wrapped boxes landed on the table and I blinked, glancing at him curiously. The man chuckled. “I thought you might need somethings to furnish your home with.” He looked pointedly around our rather bare apartment. “So I splurged a little for two people as important as you.”

_Tools,_ I amended mentally. _Two tools as important as us._

**Aren’t you a positive one?**

Instead of responded to the Kyuubi, I nodded to the Hokage and pushed the orange-wrapped gift towards my brother. Excitedly, he jumped to his feet and stood on his chair in order to properly reach it. Part of me screamed for him to get down and that he could hurt himself, but another part of me said that he had to learn eventually. Shinobi did things far more dangerous than standing on chairs.

Naruto squealed in excitement, ripping the wrapping paper away. He tore at the tape keeping the box closed and pulled it open. Then he gasped. “Rai!” He pulled out an odd wooden figure that was attached to a bright red ball with a piece of string.

“It’s a kendama,” the Hokage explained. “You have to catch the ball.”

I peered at it closer, cocking my head at the wooden spike and three cups. Well, if Naruto liked it. He set it aside and dove back into the box. He pulled out a blue ball. It looked oddly like a volleyball, and man, I hadn’t seen one of those in a while. He pulled out a large sketchbook and a set of paints and paintbrushes. I shuddered, already imagining the mess. Last, but certainly not least, he pulled out a potted plant. He oohed and aahed over it while I looked closer. “A succulent?”

The Hokage nodded. “Echeveria, to be exacted.”

“I’m going to call it Itchy!” Naruto announced.

I blinked at him and slowly asked, “Why?”

“Jiji said it was a itchyria.”

I sighed but didn’t bother to correct him. “Was that everything?”

He nodded and squealed excitedly, running off to put his new friend on the windowsill. I slowly opened my gift, balling up the wrapping paper and tossing it inside Naruto’s empty box. I opened my box and cocked my head at its contents. First I lifted out the pot, which contained what seemed to be a small stick stuck in the soil.

“It’s a cutting. Eventually, with care, it’ll be a bonsai.”

I nodded. The pot was rather large, quite wider than my lap, and I noted the pruning tools and handbook sitting atop the soil as well. “Arigato,” I said, setting it aside. Then I reached in and pulled out a thick notebook and the equally large sketchbook that accompanied it. Always useful, but I wasn’t sure exactly why they were included. There wasn’t anything particularly special about them. The next things I pulled out made it clear: a calligraphy set and a book titled _Fuuinjutsu for Beginners._

“Oh,” I murmured, equally thankful and angry for the fact that he was pushing my intelligence again.

“I looked through the records of the books you’d gotten from the library and noticed your interest.”

“Arigato, Oyaji,” I said again. I peered in the box and frowned, pulling out two things I most definitely didn’t expect to see. “Are these—“

“A bo staff, made to fit your size, and a tanto.” He smiled gently. “I noticed how avid you were in your training. Bukijutsu is always useful to a future shinobi, after all. Even if you don’t end up using these later on.”

I set down the staff and unsheathed the tanto just enough to see the blade. I flicked my callused thumb across the edge and arched an eyebrow. The thing was actually sharp, unlike my training kunai.

“There’s one more thing, Mirai-chan.”

I peered into the box and then curiously took out the plain wooden case. I opened it and blinked. “Shogi?”

“I thought it was a game you might enjoy,” he said, smiling.

“I do like shogi,” I agreed, storing my others gifts away in the box and setting it on the floor. Then I lifted out the board, laying it flat.

“You’ve played?”

“Hai.” I nodded, placing the pieces on the game board with a grin.

“In that case, Mirai-chan, would you fancy playing a round with me?”

I glanced up at him. Play with him? Well, there couldn’t be any harm in it. Maybe it would give me the practice I needed in order to win a game against Shisui. I set the pieces out on the board, placing myself as the black player, who always went first. The Hokage arched an eyebrow at that but he nodded to me. We began to play in silence, listening to the noises Naruto made as he played with his new toys. Finally, the Sandaime broke the quiet. “What is it you enjoy about shogi, Mirai-chan?”

It took me a moment to answer as I contemplated my next few moves. I wouldn’t beat him—I knew that much. But I could make him lose as many pieces as possible. That’s why, for a while now, my strategy was to go after his warriors rather than his king. “It’s realistic.” I pulled my silver general backwards and to the left, trying to draw his knight in.

His response move was almost instant as he slid forward his rook. It seemed he was still going after my king, as expected. But he also seemed to be ignoring my change in strategy, if he had noticed it at all. “How so?”

I moved a pawn as a temporary block. A delaying tactic to allow me more time for capturing pieces. “They’re all different. Different abilities and ranges, even the ones that are the same. A pawn that starts over here,” —I gestured to the right side of the board— “will never be able to do the same things as a pawn that starts over here.” I gestured to the left side.

His lance moved across the board. “I’ve never heard anyone describe it that way before, Mirai-chan. Quite imaginative. Which piece is it that you like the most?”

I let my gaze flick across them, considering my options. “The gold general,” I answered, moving my bishop. “He can move in almost any direction, with just two options missing. But with just a little patience and an extra move, he can get there anyway.”

He moved his knight, obviously expecting my bishop to be headed for the purposeful opening he’d left on his king. “The gold general can only move one space at a time. Not terribly quick.”

He was closing in on my king and I knew there was nothing I could do to stop him. So I moved my knight and captured his. “You don’t have to be quick to be powerful.”

He quirked an eyebrow at my move and moved his lance again, headed towards my king. “You know you’re losing.”

“Hai. Two more turns.” I moved my bishop over his rook, capturing it.

He shifted his knight forward and to the right. If I moved to block it, that would leave his lance open for attack. If I moved to block his lance, his knight would capture my king. “You’re not trying to win.”

I ignored his lance and his knight, instead capturing his gold general with a pawn. “No, I’m not.”

He moved his knight, the piece knocking my king out of its place. “You’ve tried to damage me as much as you could, knowing you couldn’t win.”

I glanced at him. “I couldn’t just give up.”

“No,” he said, smiling in a bewildered kind of fashion and withdrawing his pipe from his robes. “Mirai-chan?”

I swept all the pieces onto the table and put the board away. Then I began putting the pieces in their slots. “Hai, Oyaji?”

“What’s your favorite thing about shogi?”

I paused and then slid the rook into place. I picked up the last two pieces on the table: a king and a pawn. “I suppose my favorite part is that, at the end of the game, the king and the pawn,” —I slotted them into place— “both go back to the box.” With that, I snapped the box closed and looked up at him.

**You’re awfully dramatic.**

_I suppose I really can’t argue with you there._

I wasn’t sure if I was imagining the tightness around the Sarutobi’s eyes, or the interested spark inside them. He puffed on his pipe for a moment before murmuring, “You’re quite the child, aren’t you, Mirai-chan?”

“A child?” I asked pointedly. “Yes, yes I am.”

There was a tense pause—or maybe I was just imagining the awkwardness—and then the chair scraped against the floor as he rose to his feet. “I have duties to return to. Happy birthday, Mirai-chan. Naruto-kun.”

Naruto sprang up from his spot on the floor and dashed forward, throwing his arms around the man’s waist. “Arigato, Jiji!”

He chuckled and patted my brother on the head. A glance was cast in my direction. I didn’t move. At that, the Hokage nodded to me and left without another word. I rose to my feet and locked the door. But then a familiar chakra— _Sasuke?_ —bit at my senses and just a few seconds later there was a knock. Frowning, I unlocked and opened the door. Then I lit up. “Itachi! Shisui! Sasuke-kun! What are you doing here?”

“We’re here for your birthday, of course, silly.” Shisui pushed me playfully again and the Uchiha stepped into the apartment.

“Look what I got!” Naruto cheered, waving some of his new belongings. Sasuke lit up and bounded forward to see.

“Thirsty?” I asked, watching as Itachi and Shisui glanced around. They’d never been to our apartment before, after all.

The younger Uchiha nodded to me. “If you wouldn’t mind, Mirai-chan.”

I grinned. “Of course not.” Then I waved towards the couch and then the table. “Make yourselves at home.” I hummed as I moved about, heating up water for tea.

“Mirai? What’s this?”

I glanced over at them and noticed that Shisui had unsheathed my tanto. I wrinkled my nose. “Birthday gift. From the Hokage,” I said, stressing the last word. Understanding flashed across both their faces and Shisui sheathed the blade, setting it down with a sigh.

“Oh, oh, oh! We brought you something!” Sasuke yelled, waving the small, wrapped gift in his hands. He set it on the ground. Naruto glanced at me.

“Go ahead, Nato.”

He grinned, ripping off the bow and then tearing into the wrapping paper. Then he tore open the box and gasped. “Rai! Look!”

“Hmm?” I glanced over an blinked slowly at the ball in his hands. It was made of various cuts of cloth, all woven together carefully to make sure it stayed together well. I’d read about them at one point during my trips to the library. It was a temari—a handmade ball that meant a lot in way of family or friendship. Naruto, obviously, didn’t understand the symbolism, because he just started giggling excitedly and tossing it from hand to hand. I, however, glanced at the older Uchiha. “You—“

Shisui laughed, interrupting me as he lounged in one of the chairs around the table. “Of course! Who else around is such a good friend to our dear, little Sasuke-chan, huh?”

Sasuke stuck his tongue out at him. “I’m not a chan!”

I giggled, moving forward and setting the two cups of tea in front of the Uchiha. “You’re an adorable chan, Sasuke-kun.”

“Am not!”

Naruto grinned, getting in on the conversation. “Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

* * *

 

I sighed, picking up the colorful remnants of Sasuke and Naruto’s domino tower, which had long since been knocked over and scattered across the living room. I put them all away, stacked neatly in their wooden case, and set it in the end table drawer. Glancing around the room, I determined that was everything that had been left out. Satisfied, I padded down the hall and peeked into Naruto’s room. He was fast asleep, curled around Ribbit with his new shuriken patterned blanket—courtesy of me—pulled tight around his shoulders. I smiled. I’d picked it up because I vaguely remember Kakashi having it in the anime.

Carefully closing his door without making any noise, I turned and made it to my room across the hall. I closed my door and glanced towards the new bonsai sitting on my windowsill. Then I glanced out at the lights of Konoha for just a moment before shutting my blinds and crawling into my bed. I closed my eyes.

_Goodnight, Kyuubi._

It wasn’t long before I was asleep.

When I opened my eyes, I glanced at my clock. It had been two hours almost to the dot. My internal clock was improving. With a sigh, I heaved myself up from my bed to go check on Naruto, like I’d been doing for a while now. Every two hours, like clockwork. I pushed open his door and peeked inside. He’d managed to move in his sleep, now sprawled out with his blanket lying half across his body and half across his face with Ribbit sitting down at the foot of the bed. I smile and shut the door. Then I turned.

“Shit,” I hissed in surprise, taking a step back where my heel hit the door. I stared at the intruder, my heart still pounding in my chest even though I knew there was no threat.

He cocked his head at me, mask hard to see through the dim light. “Now, where did you learn a word like that?”

I let out a deep breath, forcing myself to relax. “‘Nu-nii,” I murmured. “What— Why—“

“I’ve got permission from the Hokage to visit you, now,” he murmured. “Seems you’ve met enough shinobi to clear suspicion.”

I knew the real reason, but I gave him an alternate explanation anyway. “For why I know an ANBU?”

He paused and then nodded, accepting my reason. “Hai.”

I reached out and put my small hand in his, gripping his hand tightly. “Tea?” Without waiting for a response, I pulled him into the living room. Then I released him as I made the drink, trying to make as little noise as possible so I wouldn’t wake Naruto. When I finished, I turned around and stopped short, blinking. He’d removed his ANBU mask and it was nowhere to be seen. But his cloth mask was also loose around his neck and I was seeing his face again. He glanced tiredly towards me and I could see the exhaustion on his features. I moved forward and held out the tea. “Why are you here right now? I think you need sleep.” He took the tea and I crossed my arms.

He chuckled weakly. “Well, I didn’t want to miss your birthday.”

I glanced at the clock. _12:09 AM._ Technically, he’d already missed it, but I didn’t say that. Instead, I tilted my head at him. “Your name is Kakashi.”

He blinked, only one of his eyes open. “How did you know that, Mirai-chan?”

“Shisui got me a bingo book. I found you inside. It wasn’t that hard, but only because I’d seen your face before.” I pulled out the chair next to him and sat down criss-cross. I watched as he gulped down the tea like his life depended on it. When he set the empty cup down, I said, “You’re staying?”

He blinked. “I don’t live here,” he pointed out dryly.

I rolled my eyes, unable to help the smile tugging at my lips. “I know that, Captain Obvious. I mean you’re staying as in . . . family?” It wasn’t until I said it that I realized how much it mattered, because suddenly I could taste salt in the back of my throat as it closed up. But I refused to cry; I hadn’t cried since I was a little kid, and I intended for it to stay that way.

“I’m allowed to see you now,” he agreed.

I nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. “You promise we’ll always be family.” The air was heavy for a moment, then he nodded. I held out my hand, my smallest finger extended. “Pinky promise? Family forever?”

He stared at my hand like he’d never seen anyone do that before and I wondered for a moment if it was just the result of his odd childhood or if I actually had just introduced a new form of making a promise to this world. I bit my lip as he didn’t move, seemingly studying my hand. But then he lifted his hand too and his much larger finger curled around mine. “Pinky promise,” he murmured, sounding both confused and sincere. “Family forever.”

I stared at our hands for a moment before beaming up at him. Then I untangled our fingers and threw myself across the gap between our chairs. His hands caught me cautiously and I curled my fingers into his shirt as I settled in his lap. “I missed you,” I whispered.

He was tense, but his arms came around me and hugged me tight. He didn’t say anything in return, but that was okay. Then I lit up and pulled away, dropping to the floor. “Oh, oh, ‘Nu-nii, look what I learned.” I moved away from the table. Then I grinned at him and raced through my hand seals, focusing on the chair I’d vacated. “Kawarimi,” I muttered, snapping forward. I heard the chair hit the ground where I’d just been and I could feel the smoldering splinters in my veins, but I turned proudly to him anyway. I only faltered when I saw the wide-eyed expression on his face.

He didn’t say anything.

“‘Nu-nii?” I asked cautiously, wondering if I had done something wrong. “Are you okay?”

“You’ve already learned a lot, haven’t you?” he asked me, his smile small and tense and strained. “I always knew you were a . . . genius.”

I blinked slowly. Of course. He’d grown up as a genius. He’d lived it. And he’d suffered the consequences. And now he was sitting here, watching me do the same. So I walked forward and dragged the chair back to its spot. “I want to get strong,” I said, watching as my words only made it worse. “So I can protect Naruto. So I can protect those precious to me.”

“To protect?” he asked, as if making sure I was serious.

I nodded. “To protect.” With that, I took his hand and pulled. He rose to his feet and let me lead him to the couch. When he sat down, I crawled into his lap again. “Does it hurt?” I asked. When he glanced at me curiously, one arm around me to keep me from falling, I whispered, “Being a shinobi. Does it hurt?”

“I won’t lie to you. It does.”

I thinned my lips and nodded. “Okay.” I curled up against his hard chest armor, closing my eyes. “Okay.”

* * *

 

I paused in my breathing for just a second, opening my eyes. Shifting slightly in Kakashi’s arms, I looked towards the clock that hung over the hallway. _2:48 AM._ I listened for a moment to his deep, even breaths before moving to get up. His arms suddenly tightened around me and I felt him sit up completely. I squeaked. “‘Nu-nii?”

“Mirai-chan,” he slurred, voice heavy with sleep. “It’s three in the morning. Where are you going?”

I pulled his hands away and jumped up from his lap. “I’m checking on Naruto. I’ll be right back.” I paced down the hall and pushed Naruto’s door open. He was curled up tightly on his bed, Ribbit lying on the floor with his blanket shoved to the side. And he was whimpering. Nightmare, then.

Picking up Ribbit off the ground, I moved to the edge of the bed. Naruto shifted as I pushed Ribbit into his arms and his eyes fluttered as he struggled to wake up. I pulled the blanket up and tucked it around him. “Shh,” I murmured. “It’s okay. Go back to sleep. It’s just a dream.”

He clutched Ribbit desperately to his chest, sniffling, and I laced my fingers through his hair. “R-rai,” he whispered, voice small and sleepy. “B-but . . . .”

I smiled faintly and ruffled his hair. “You’ll be okay. I’m right here.” I kept repeating those words until I heard his breathing calm and his chakra smooth out. Then I pulled back and silently left the room. Kakashi was still on the couch, his ANBU armor removed. He had moved to sleep on his side, the throw pillow tucked under his head. I hesitated at the end of the hallway, wanting to go back to him—I really had missed my older brother—but also not wanting to wake him up. With a muffled sigh, I turned towards my room.

“Mirai-chan.”

I glanced back over my shoulder to see that one of his eyes was open and he had lifted his arm. Grinning, I skipped back over to him and snuggled against his chest, clutching his hand tightly. Then I closed my eyes.

**Human.**

I opened my eyes, staring up at the jailed fox. “Kyuubi. Why’d you bring me here?”

**“Your training needs to improve. You’re weak.”** He lifted himself, sitting up and glaring down at me. **“I refuse to have a weak container.”**

“I know that. I’m trying.”

**“You’re not trying hard enough!”**

“What do you want me to do, then?” I asked, crossing my arms and sitting down on the cold floor. “It’s not like I can put more time in the day.”

He stared at me.

“Well . . . it’s not. Right?” Suddenly, I wasn’t so sure.

**“Time within your mindscape and time without it do not move at the same speed.”**

“Don’t move at the same . . . . Time is stretched here? In my mindscape?”

**“At a ratio of about three to one.”**

“A ratio of— I can train, here. Only mental stuff, of course, but—“

**“And yet again, your petty mind fails to see the larger picture.”** He leaned forward, snarling in a way that showed his sharp teeth. I stood my ground, meeting his hateful gaze. **“You keep thinking of this plane of existence as merely another room in what is reality, bound to the same laws and rules as everything else you know. You’re wrong.”**

I could feet the gears turning inside my head as I mulled over what he was saying. “There aren’t laws,” I said by way of clarification.

**“There are laws.”**

“What are they?”

He settled back, simply watching me.

I sighed and glanced down at my hand. Not the same laws. Not the same rules. This was my mind, wasn’t it? And if I had control anywhere, wouldn’t it be inside my own head? First off, I needed to know how much time I was spending here. I lifted my hand and stared at the air just in front of me. It took a moment for me to concentrate, but when I did—

**“A clock?”**

“A timer,” I corrected, picking up the object that was reminiscent of alarm clocks from Earth. “It will let me know how long I’ve been here and—through that—I’ll know how long it’s been out there.” I set the clock aside and sat down seiza. “Supplies,” I muttered to myself, picturing what I needed. A spiral-bound notebook and a ballpoint pen hit the floor and I sighed in relief and cracked my knuckles. Then I picked my new writing supplies up. “Alright, let’s think about this logically.

**“That will be the day,”** he muttered.

“Behave,” I said absently, waving my pen at him. “I need to organize my training more. I need more focus.” While Kurama grunted in agreement, I began scribbling down all the skills I needed to study.

_Fuuinjutsu, taijutsu, ninjutsu, bukijutsu._

“At lot of this will have to be mainly theory for now. Just for a couple months until the Academy starts,” I murmured. The rolled my pen between my fingers. “Medical knowledge would be helpful too.”

**“Are you planning to be a medic nin?”** he asked sarcastically.

I sent a glare his way. “No. But it can only help, right? Though some healing knowledge would probably be good, and maybe I’ll dip my toes a little in poison too,” I said, writing it all down.

He snorted.

“I mean figuratively, you ass.” Rolling my eyes, I glanced at him. “I’ll need more work with my kunai, and hopefully I’ll get my hands on some shuriken practice. What else?”

**“Traps.”**

“Right, of course. Those can never _not_ be helpful, right?” I scratched _trap-setting_ down in my notebook. “Stealth works with that, too. And anything involving tracking and information gathering. Anything I’m forgetting?”

**“Genjutsu.”**

“I won’t be able to use it. Not with you,” I said, frowning.

**“No, you won’t. But you should know the theory, as well as how to recognize and break it.”**

“Right.” I wrote that down and then snapped the notebook shut. Frowning, I muttered, “I wonder.” I clipped the pen on the book and held them out. I pushed them up and they disappeared as if I was putting them in some sort of invisible pocket. I pulled them down and grinned when they reappeared. I put them away and glanced towards Kurama. “And remember, if we’re going to beat Madara, then we need to work together.”

**“Tch.”**

“That means learning how to get along. And training together.”

He lowered himself back down on his paws, closing his eyes. **“Wake me when I care.”**

* * *

 

I woke for the fourth time that night and glanced at the clock. _7:31 AM._ Yawning widely, I untangled myself from Kakashi’s grip and padded over to the kitchen. I hummed quietly as I moved around, making breakfast. It was a more convoluted process than I liked since I had to constantly drag my step stool around so that I could reach everything. But eventually, breakfast was made. I glanced at the clock as I placed the plates on the table. _7:53 AM._ I looked up and found that Kakashi was already awake, his cloth mask pulled up over his nose. A grin split my face. “‘Nu-nii, breakfast is ready.” I waved at one of the plates.

He grunted and got to his feet. When he sat down, I nodded and moved to Naruto’s room. “Nato,” I murmured, opening the door. “Time to get up.” I flicked on the light and he groaned, jerking the blanket up over his head. I giggled and skipped forward. “C’mon, Nato. Breakfast is ready!”

“I don’t wanna get up,” he muttered.

I ripped his blanket away. “C’mon! It’s time to eat!”

He squinted at me. “But _Raaaaai—“_

“No, none of that,” I warned. “We have a guest.” I leaned down and dragged him to his feet. He slumped forward as I held him up.

“A g-gue-g—“ He broke off, yawning widely.

“Hai.” I ruffled his hair and then straightened out his pjs. “C’mon.”

“I smell bacon,” he muttered.

I grinned. “Bacon, eggs, bell peppers, and plenty of toast. I know you’re hungry.” I pushed him ahead of me and he shuffled out into the living room, rubbing his eyes. Then he blinked.

“Inu!” he shouted, a grin splitting his face. “What are you doing here?”

“Maa, you can call me Kakashi,” he murmured, closing his eye in a faint representation of a smile. “I came to visit you. And I brought presents.” He reached in his kunai pouch and withdrew two gifts, just as badly wrapped as they had been last time.

Naruto claimed a spot at the table and shoveled some food in his mouth before he took the gift. “Arigato!”

“Nato, swallow before you speak,” I reprimanded, taking my own gift. I watched as he unwrapped his.

He squealed in delight. “Cool! Look, Rai! More coloring!”

I smiled at the coloring book and crayons and then opened my own gift. I blinked and then grinned up at him. “Arigato, ‘Nu-nii.” I would use the chakra balm religiously, and kunai pouches were something I’d been meaning to get.

He chuckled and then ruffled my hair. “You probably shouldn’t call me that. People aren’t supposed to know who I am, remember?”

“Niisan, then,” I amended, sitting down and digging into my own meal. “I’m training with Yanagikage-sensei today. Do you want to join us?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.

Kakashi blinked, pushing aside his empty plate. “Yanagikage-sensei?”

“Hai. Yanagikage Kokage. We made a bet, he lost, so now he owes me. And now he’s going to teach me a jutsu.”

“A jutsu?” Kakashi face drew thin. “What jutsu?”

“I’m not sure.” I polished off my meal and licked my lips. “He did test my chakra nature, though. I’m fuuton natured.” I gathered the plates and then glanced at Naruto. “Nato, finish your veggies.”

He pouted. “I don’t want my veggies.” He shoved his plate away.

“You need to eat your veggies. That’s how you get strong, remember?” I nudged his plate towards him. “So, eat up.”

“But Rai—“

“Don’t _Rai_ me, Nato. Veggies are important for a shinobi. Right, Niisan?”

Kakashi glanced up and then nodded to Naruto. “She’s right, Naruto-kun. Every good shinobi eats their veggies.” Then he nodded to me as well. “I’ll come.” He rose to his feet and reached out, ruffling my hair. “I’ll be back, okay?”

I grinned up at him. “Okay.” He shunshined away and I curled my fingers tightly around the plate in my hand, wincing. Breathing deeply, I cleared my throat and began washing the dishes. After a moment, Naruto stood and brought me his plate.

“I’m done, dattebayo.”

I glanced back at the table and then suspiciously at his empty plate. But given the pouty look on his face, I decided to trust him. “Alright. Go get dressed, okay? And don’t forget to brush your teeth.”

He nodded and scrambled away as I finished. I set the dishes on a towel to dry and hopped down from the stool. “Rai!”

“What is it?” I asked, disappearing into my room and leaving my door open so I could hear him. I began selecting my training outfit for the day and shimmied out of my pjs.

“What should I pack?” he called.

I wiggled into my black shinobi pants and tucked in my green t-shirt. After pulling on my shinobi sandals, I sat down to tape the ankles of my pants. “I’ll bring all the training stuff. Just bring some things you can play with, okay?”

I didn’t hear a conformation, but I knew he’d heard me. When I started packing, several things found their way into my backpack: my notebook, wallet, jumprope, my copy of _Gutsy Shinobi,_ and a roll of bandages. After shoving in an extra set of clothes, I managed to fit in my bo staff and tanto into the bag and zipped the pack up to where only the ends were sticking out. I swung the pack on and glanced in the mirror, where I could see the tip of my weapons peeking out just above my head. Then I bent down and strapped one of my new kunai pouches to my right thigh. I pulled my hair into two small pigtails and tugged on my beanie. Then I packed my training kunai away in my kunai pouch and paced back out into the living room. “Nato, you ready?”

“Hold on!”

“Where are you meeting him?”

I refused to jump in surprise, though my heart didn’t exactly follow that order. “Niisan, I didn’t realize you were back.”

He hummed in response, glancing at the weapons peeking out of my bag. “Well?”

“Um, Training Ground 6,” I said after a moment of thought, moving into the kitchen and selecting some food—oatmeal bars, some fruit, and a few onigiri I’d made the day before. It all got packed safely away into a small travel box and stored in my backpack. By the time I turned around, Naruto was in the living room with his own bag.

He grinned. “Let’s go!” He opened the window and waved to us. I chewed on my lip, glancing nervously at Naruto. Then I resolutely climbed through the window after him. Once Naruto had joined us, Kakashi shut the window behind us. The three of us crouched on the wide window ledge, staring down at the streets below us. I eyed the roof top across the alleyway, trying to decide if I would make it or not. After a moment, I decided it wasn’t worth risking the loss of my training session.

Kakashi touched each our shoulders. “Here we go.”

Chakra flamed inside my veins and I bit my lip hard to avoid making a sound. We landed in the middle of a street and I glanced back to see our apartment in the distance. “Shunshin?”

Kakashi nodded in surprise and then pointed towards the side gate in the wall only a little ways away. “This is the gate closest to Training Ground 6.”

We walked at a rather slow, pace listening to Naruto rant on and on about how much he loved his new gifts. Finally, he pestered Kakashi until the man lifted him onto his shoulders. We stepped outside the walls and I dug in my backpack, pulling out my jumprope. I skip-roped alongside him as we walked, often having to jump in place so I didn’t get too far ahead. When we reached the training ground, Kokage was already waiting. “Hatake-san,” he greeted respectfully, bowing his head.

“I hope you don’t mind that I brought my Niisan,” I told him, packing my jumprope away and beaming at him.

“No, of course I don’t mind,” he said with a faint smile. Then he motioned me forward. “I’m going demonstrate the jutsu you’ll be working towards. It’s a very versatile technique and can be combined with other elements or tools to make it more powerful. I’ll begin by simply doing it, then I’ll slow down for you to see.” He stepped a couple feet away from me and turned so that I could see his side profile. He zoomed through seals I couldn’t see and took a deep breath. “Fuuton: Daitoppa!”

He lifted a hand to his mouth and blew out. Chakra turned alight in my veins as the wind shot outwards, zipping forward and gouging up some of the grass. I bit my lip to keep the pain at bay and nodded. He didn’t even look at me as he continued to speak. “There are different ways to apply the jutsu, but through the mouth is the easiest to learn. Once you’ve learned that, you can move on to expelling the chakra through your hands. Now watch closely.” He raised his hands and did the signs much slower, naming them as he went. “Tiger, ox, dog, rabbit, snake.” He lifted a hand to his mouth. “Fuuton: Daitoppa!”

The blast was smaller this time, and it burned my coils less. _Tiger, ox, dog, rabbit, snake,_ I told myself. _Do you think you could help me remember that?_

**If I have to.**

Kokage turned toward me and I excitedly straightened. I took a wider stance and slid one leg back for support. But when I pulled my hands into the tiger seal, he shook his head. “You’re not doing to jutsu yet.” He paced past me and pulled a leaf off the tree. “First, you need to cut this in half using wind chakra.” The chunin placed it between his palms, I felt chakra flare against my bones, and then he unfolded his hands, revealing the perfect cut down the center of the leaf. “Once you have that down, then you can start learning the jutsu. Cut the leaf, memorize the seals, and then find me again.” He disappeared in a shunshin.

I collected some of the leaves on the ground and then sat down seiza, setting them next to me. It wouldn’t do to just dive in headfirst. A few feet away, Naruto pulled out his new book and began coloring away. Kakashi sat against the tree just to my left. “Well? Aren’t you going to start?”

I merely hummed in reply, resting my palms on my thighs and closing my eyes. Elemental chakra in this world was simply a manipulation of the energy inside to reflect the nature outside. At least, that was what the book I had read said. So I relaxed, as if I was going to meditate. Then I simply listened. I blocked out the sound of Naruto’s playing and the sound of Kakashi turning pages in his book. I listened only to the wind and the way it rustled through the leaves. After a moment, I matched my breathing to it. Long, deep, even breaths. In. Out. In. Out. I turned my hands over, feeling the way the air tingled on my palms.

“Hey, Rai!”

I snapped my eyes open to find Naruto right in front of me. I groaned, shoulders slumping. “Is this important, Nato? You know you shouldn’t interrupt me while I’m meditating.”

He made a face. “I know, but it’s been _forever!_ I’m hungry.”

I blinked. “We just ate.”

“You’ve been sitting there for almost four hours.”

I glanced at Kakashi, but he didn’t give any sign that he’d spoken. He just sat there with his orange book. “Really? Huh.” With that, I turned to my backpack and unzipped it. “Fruit, onigiri, or oatmeal bar?”

“Onigiri!” my brother cheered, grinning.

I opened the box and took out the rice ball. Then I handed him an apple as well. He pouted at me but didn’t argue. I glanced at Kakashi. “Hungry, Niisan?”’

He shook his head.

I nodded and selected an oatmeal bar. I munched on it, lifting a leaf to hold it between two of my fingers. I swallowed and turned the leaf around so I could see it from the other side. I brought the bar towards my mouth again, but then I paused, blinking.

“Is something wrong, Mirai-chan?”

I cocked my head to the side, watching the way the leaf fluttered in the wind. “No,” I murmured. I let go and watched the leaf fly off. “Nothing’s wrong.” I bit off another mouthful of the bar and then set it down. Placing a leaf between my palms, I chewed and swallowed. I took a deep breath and then pushed my chakra to my hands, like I did with the chakra light. The energy hummed fiercely beneath my skin and I pulled it back. Wind. How was I supposed to make it feel like wind?

I pulsed my chakra gently forward, frowning. Then my eyes widened. The chakra paper. Of course. What was it I had felt when it tore? A chill, like wind during December howling against a window pane. I concentrated on that feeling, relating it back to the flow of the wind from earlier. I pushed it through my tenketsu onto the leaf, grinding the chakra against itself. I grinned as I felt that cold feeling of a winter breeze on my palm. Then I separated my hands to look at the leaf.

Nothing.

* * *

 

I sat against Genma’s side, channeling my attempts at wind chakra through the leaf in my hands while keeping some of my attention on Naruto as he played on the floor just in front of the TV. I frowned at the leaf. “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”

“You’ll just have to keep trying, kiddo,” Genma said, rubbing my head playfully in a way that knocked my beanie askew. I wrinkled my nose at him and then paused, sniffing the air. The ANBU arched an eyebrow. “What now?”

I wiggled my nose at the sour smell and whispered, “Uma.”

He glanced back and grinned around his senbon. “Raidou! Back from your mission?”

I blinked slowly. Raidou? But wasn’t that . . . . I groaned. Well, hindsight really was 20/20. I looked up at the shinobi, the left side of his face twisted by a burn scar as he grinned down at us. “And who do we have here?” he asked, crouching down.

I frowned. “You know who I am,” I accused, crossing my arms.

“She’s a smart one, remember?” Genma said.

Raidou blinked. “You mean— Really?” He squinted at me.

I nodded and then returned my attention to the leaf. I placed it between my palms, grinding the sharp chakra against itself just as I’d been doing for the past three weeks. After a moment, I opened my hands to look at the untouched leaf.

I blinked.

Then I squealed. “Look! I figured it out!” I held up the leaf, showing Genma the tear that went about a third of the way through it. Then I scrambled for a new leaf and placed it between my hands, doing my best to recreate that feeling. I ground my chakra together, forcing it to last much longer this time. When I released it and then opened my hands, two jaggedly cut half-leaves were sitting in my palm. I stared. I blinked. I stared some more. “I . . . I did it.”

“Let me see!” Naruto yelled excitedly, jumping up onto the couch. “Cool! You did that with your chakara?”

“Chakra.”

“Chakra,” he repeated. “You did that?”

“Hai.” I let my shoulder relax with the knowledge that I’d finally managed it.

“Well, well, well, look who we have here.”

I knew that voice. Grinning, I jumped up from the couch. “Shisui!” I dashed forward and threw my arms around him. “You’re back from your mission!”

He chuckled. “That obvious, huh?”

“Do you think you could teach me how to use my tanto?”

I heard Genma’s senbon click loudly behind me, a sound it only made when he was clenching his teeth. Shisui paused, blinking down at me. Then he crouched to me level and softened his voice. “Now why would you want me to teach you that?” he asked, voice heavy.

“What’s the reason I gave you when you taught me kawarimi?” I shot back.

The Uchiha’s gaze flicked towards Naruto and then back to me. “Do you want to learn now?”

“But Naruto—“

“We’ll watch him, kiddo,” Genma said. I felt him messing with my beanie again. “Don’t worry. We’ll make sure the little brat is home and fed and in bed, alright?”

I glanced back at him and lit up. “Really?”

He nodded once, rolling his needle across his teeth. Shisui pushed me playfully. “C’mon, _Taichou,_ grab your stuff.”

I rolled my eyes at his patronizing nickname and scrambled up onto the back of the couch, snatching up my bag from where it sat on the cushions. Then I hurried over to where Naruto was sitting on the floor. “Nato, you’ll listen to Genma, right? And eat and brush your teeth and—“

“I’m not a little kid, Rai,” he pouted.

I sighed. “As if,” I muttered. Then I turned to Shisui. “I’m ready.”

He nudged me ahead of him and I climbed the stairs, feeling my breath catch as Naruto’s chakra got farther away. But I was getting used to this—I’d been leaving him at home while I went grocery shopping and too the library. I didn’t like the feeling, but it was going away. When we stepped outside, I felt Shisui’s hand rest on my head. “You’re getting better at that.”

“I’ve been working on it. He hasn’t been with me even once in the past month when I’ve gone for groceries.” I squinted a little at the light when we stepped outside. “Where are we gonna—“

“Leave it up to me.” His fingers curled around my shoulder and I felt chakra burning, burning, burning as the world turned on its head. Then we were on the hill, staring down at the lake. I brought a hand up to my mouth, muffling my urge to retch and shuddering at the bile in the back of my throat. “Wh-what—“

“Shunshin. Mine’s a bit better than everyone else’s,” he said cheerfully. “Maybe I’ll teach it to you sometime.”

I snapped my head up to look at him. “What? Really? When?”

“Learn henge and perfect water-walking first, then come to me. Shunshin requires precision that those help you learn.” He beamed down at me. “Now, you wanted help with your tanto, right?”

“Right. That or my bo staff.”

He nodded slowly and I slung my backpack off my shoulder, retrieving both weapons. “We’ll start with the staff. It will help you get used to using a weapon, it has similar stances, the movements will translate somewhat, and it’s wood, so you won’t have to constantly sharpen it after training.”

I nodded and moved aside, setting down my backpack and tanto. I gripped the bo staff and then walked back over to him. “Okay. What now?”

He spent the next hour adjusting my stance and grip before he would even let me take a swing. But finally he nodded and then crouched down, holding up his arm. He tapped two fingers to his forearm. “Hit me.”

“Hit . . . you?”

“What, you don’t think I can take it?” he asked, giving me a lopsided smile. “You’re six. You can’t hit that hard. C’mon.”

Well, he wasn’t wrong. So I took a deep breath, going through the motions he had taught me. _A woman’s power comes from the hips,_ I told myself, remembering what one of my sensei had told me Before. I swung, dropping the weight of my hands forward and making sure to rest on the balls of my feet. The wood hit his arm with a loud crack.

Shisui blinked and then pulled his arm back, shaking it out. “Alright, so turns out I actually can be wrong. Kami, where’d you get all that power from?”

I cocked my head at him, returning my bo staff to my side. “Well, I _have_ been training for years.”

He rubbed his forearm where it was going red and raised an eyebrow. “Maybe. But still. Sheesh.” He cleared his throat and straightened. “In that case, it would probably be better if you practiced on a training dummy. Grab your things.”

“Where are we going?” I asked, moving over to my bag.

“Training Ground 4. It has training dummies and is a pretty ideal place for practicing bukijutsu.”

I zipped up the backpack, adjusting the zipper around my two weapons. “You’ll shunshin us there?”

“Hai.”

I tilted my head in curiosity and paced back over to him. “I though shunshin was a short distance jutsu.”

A cocky grin split his face. “It is for everyone else. But I’ve changed it for long distance. Only works when I know the place really well. But this is Konoha; I know this place like the back of my hand.” At that, he held out his hand to me. “Ready? This one will be a little longer.”

A frown twisted my lips and I dropped my small hand in his large one. “If I throw up, it’s your fault."

He chuckled and then there was broken glass in my veins again as the world stretched and then snapped back in a nauseating blur. My knees gave way and I dropped downward. Then my arm snatched higher up, keeping me from hitting the ground as his hand gripped mine tightly. I felt my stomach clawing up my esophagus and I choked it back, hacking awfully. 

“Easy, now.” He lowered me gently to the ground and I shuddered at the feeling of the hard earth on my knees. I wrestled with the retch tempting its way up my throat and curled my fingers into the dirt. When I finally managed to blink my vision clear, I looked up at Shisui. He grinned. “Well, at least you survived.”

“I hate you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuuton: Daitoppa — Wind Release: Great Breakthrough
> 
> Answer: According to every demigod test I’ve taken, my godly parent is none other than our resident king of the underworld: Hades.
> 
> Question: What’s your favorite of the five basic elemental chakra types: wind, fire, water, earth, or lightning?
> 
> Today’s suggested fanfic: Gift by Margan. (on FF.net)


	7. Chapter Six - Dysphoria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Dysphoria—noun. 1: a state of dissatisfaction, anxiety, restlessness, or fidgeting 2: a feeling of being ill at ease]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Unless I mention otherwise, it’s best to assume all (named) characters are canon. Thus far, the only non-canon character that’s been given a name has been Kobayashi-san in the library because, well, I couldn’t actually find a canon librarian. Also, I wanted to clarify something that I’ve noticed several of my reviewers/people who have messaged me have pointed out. This story is written from Mirai’s point of view. You only read what she knows or believes; because of that, Mirai is an unreliable narrator. There are things that happen that she doesn’t notice or include or believe, just like how you and I leave things out (intentionally or unintentionally) when we tell a story. 1st person POV narrators are biased. As you read this chapter, remember that there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that Mirai doesn’t know about. And what seems lucky or good to her now might not be later when she realizes why it’s happened.  
> I ran out of room to fit everything into this chapter that I promised, but we are moving along. There were just a few things that happen in this chapter that needed to happen and couldn’t be put off. Bear with me.  
> Enjoy, read, and review!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I could list all the things that aren’t mine, but that would be a little long. So I’ll just list what is mine: Mirai.
> 
> I give you the seventh installment of Samsaric.

I felt off.

I wasn’t sure if it was the soreness of my chakra coils or the way I couldn’t quite focus, but something wasn’t right. Maybe it had nothing to do with those things at all. Then again, they might have everything to do with it. I frowned at the thought, pausing my brush against the paper and watching as the ink seeped angrily through the seams.

**You’re making a mess.**

I blinked, shaking myself back to reality. An odd grunt bubbled up at the back of my throat and I began cleaning up my calligraphy supplies. _You’ve been awfully chatty today, Kyuubi. Is there something you’re wanting?_

**Your head on a spike.** His growl echoed around in the back of my mind and I rose from my seiza.

_Cheerful as ever._ I stored my supplies in my backpack and moved into the kitchen for food. “Nato!” I called, packing my wooden lunch box and stowing it away in my bag. “I’m going to head out, okay? I’ll be at Training Ground 4. If you need me, don’t try to come find me. Go to—“

“—Izumo or Hayate or Kotetsu or Yuugao. I know, dattebayo,” he whined, appearing at the end of the hallway. “You say that every time you leave.” My brother pouted dramatically. “I’m not a little kid! I can take care of myself.”

A chuckle found its way out between my lips and I moved forward, slinging my backpack across my shoulders. “I know you can.” I ruffled his hair and then pecked a kiss on his forehead. “I should be back before bedtime, okay? I’ve already got a bento in the fridge for you.” I skipped towards the door. “Don’t forget to eat all your vegetables and—“

“—brush my teeth. I’ve got it.” He crossed his arms stubbornly. “I’m the future Hokage, remember? The Hokage doesn’t have to be reminded to brush his teeth!”

“I sure hope not.” With that, I stepped outside and locked the door, controlling the trembling in my hands. It took me twenty seconds to move away from the front door, and only another minute to step far enough away that I couldn’t feel Naruto’s chakra. A new personal best.

_Something’s still wrong,_ I muttered fitfully, curling and uncurling my fists. Maybe it was the glares pointed my way. No, those were normal and I hadn’t felt this way until recently. I ducked my way outside the walls, turning towards the training ground. A chilly wind blew and I lowered my head against it. I’d never liked the cold, not Before, not now. Besides, when had it decided to get so cold, anyway?

**Winter is approaching.**

_It is?_ I’d known on some level that fall was coming to an end, but winter hadn’t quite registered yet. A frown pulled at my face. Something about winter caught my attention, but I couldn’t quite remember why. I shrugged my backpack off and then sank into my stretches. Maybe it was seasonal depression. It had flared up occasionally in my old life. I’d just never considered the possibility of it showing up here.

I dropped down into my pushups. _Ne, Kyuubi?_

**What is it you want, human?**

_Our training. How should we start?_

There was no response. I had moved on to practicing bo staff strikes on a dummy by the time I received an answer.

**We have to practice harmonizing our chakra and mixing it appropriately.**

I paused mid-swing and adjusted my stance. Then I resumed my practice. _Alright. Doesn’t sound too hard, but I bet it still is. What’s the catch?_

**If anyone suspects that you have contact with me and are actively engaging in using my chakra, you could be brought in for questioning. Worst case scenario, T &I.**

_Delightful_ , I hummed. My bo staff glanced off the dummy and I frowned, reevaluating my stance. _What do you propose we do, then?_

“You seem anxious.”

I snapped around, falling into a defensive pose with my bo staff raised. I caught my breath, staring at the figure standing on the edge of the training ground. After a moment of awkward silence, I raked my gaze across his Konoha hitai-ate and relaxed, returning my staff to my side. “Ohayo. Gomen, were you meaning to use this training ground?”

He inclined his head towards me. I frowned, not quite sure whether or not I was supposed to look at the bandages wrapped around the upper part of his head—and through that, wrapped around his eyes—or not. “I was intending to, and I still will. But there’s no need to apologize; it’s no burden to share a training ground with a comrade.”

“Um, I’m not quite a comrade,” I said, shuffling aside to put my bo staff away. His head turned as if he was watching me and I resisted a shudder. Cool, but a little creepy. “I’m not a shinobi.”

“You’re intending on graduating from the Academy at some point, are you not?”

“I . . . am.” I licked my lips nervously. I didn’t recognize anything about the man, so I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about him just yet. He didn’t seem hostile but, after all, he couldn’t quite see who I was, could he?

“Ah, my apologies. I’ve been rude. Tobitake Tonbo, at your service.” He bowed his head respectfully.

I did the same, though I knew he couldn’t see me. “Uzumaki Mirai. I’ll get out of your way now, Tobitake-san.”

“There’s no need for that. And you can relax. Your chakra has become rather chilly.”

My chakra? “You can sense my chakra?” That was a stupid question, of course. Any shinobi worth his salt would be able to sense a jinchuuriki’s chakra if there weren’t any precautions taken to hide it. I’d just never had anyone comment on it before.

“Of course I can,” he responded dryly, moving forward and stopping only a couple feet away from me. His head was tilted down to my face, as if he could see me past his bandages. “I’m a chakra sensor. And your chakra is a mess of nerves. What is it that has you do high strung?”

“I was . . . training,” I finished lamely. “You’re a chakra sensor? I don’t think I’ve ever met another chakra sensor before.” I sucked in my lower lip, gnawing on it as I considered my options. Learning from a clearly experienced chakra sensor would be invaluable—it would not only improve my skills, but would quite possibly help desensitize me to the feeling of chakra on my coils.

“Hai. It’s how I see without these.” He gestured to his covered eyes. “You’re a chakra sensor as well, Uzumaki-san?”

I thought for a moment about explaining my hypersensitivity, but I decided against it. “Hai,” was all I said.

“Have you had training?” He tilted his head to the side.

“As a sensor? No. I haven’t.” I frowned up at him, wondering if he was about to offer what I thought he was, what I was hoping for.

“If you’d like, I could give you a few tips. Chakra sensing isn’t something that can necessarily be taught or trained, simply practiced. You can use it, can’t you?”

“Hai, I can. And I can sense people, but only really civilians and Academy students.” I shifted my weight from foot to foot, feeling an odd coldness creep across my skin as I continued to stare up at his bandaged face.

“Chakra is a valuable resource,” he murmured and leaned forward, lips barely moving. I licked my own, tensing my knees to prevent myself from stepping backwards. “But it’s also incredibly personal.”

I cocked my head to the side and resisted the shiver itching at my spine. “Personal?”

“Hai. It’s one thing to become familiar with a person’s chakra from naturally sensing it. It’s another to ask them to sit down so you can study it, feel it, learn it. It’s a sign of trust—not something many are willing to offer nowadays. But not only is it an exercise is confidence, it’s a way to learn. Once you’re well associated with a chakra, you can begin to sense it better even when it’s hidden. The more you actively practice, the better you’ll get.” He straightened and turned towards the practice dummies. “Practice a little and then maybe I’ll tell you more.”

I stared at his back as he moved to another part of the training ground and began his kata. When he moved away, I felt the cold leeching from my bones in full retreat and, with a sense of shock, I realized that it had been his chakra. I might want to increase my sensing abilities, but if there was one chakra I never wanted to feel again, it was his.

The shudder crawled through the middle of mine spine and oozed out along my jawline. _I didn’t like that. I didn’t like that at all._

**Get over yourself.**

“Sign of trust, huh?” I murmured, staring down at my hands. With a sigh, I gathered up my supplies and slung my backpack across my shoulders. I turned and left the training ground, picking at my sweat-soaked clothing. As I walked, I tucked my hair up into my beanie. Then I reached back and blindly felt around in my backpack until I felt my fingers close around the small bag. I pulled it out and rummaged for a second for the foundation and brush.

_I need to pick up some things for the Academy._

**The Academy is worthless. Do you really want to be training around idiotic children day in and day out?**

_Why are you so talkative today? I don’t like it._ I wrinkled my nose as I scrubbed the foundation into my whisker marks with the brush. _You normally ignore me. What changed?_ I brushed off the excess foundation and then tucked it all away again. I received no answer, though I could hear Kurama grumbling something in the back of my mind. Shaking my head, I sped up my pace towards the store.

The bell rung as I opened the door and stepped inside, fumbling in my pocket for the list. The woman behind the counter smiled broadly. “Ohayo! Welcome! How can I help you today?”

I glanced at her and nodded. “I’m just looking, for now. Arigato.” I picked up a basket, which was about half the size of me. Carrying it was awkward, but I made it over to the first aisle. “Hmm . . . . Pens, highlighters— Hey, these are pretty nice colored pencils,” I murmured. “These would be a great gift for Naruto.”

I stopped short as the off feeling in my stomach doubled and grew warm. “Gift?” I whispered. “Hold on . . . .” _Kyuubi, what did you say earlier? About the cold?_

**Winter.**

“Winter . . . . Of course!”

“Do you need help?” the lady called.

I blinked and then cleared my throat nervously. “No, thank you. I’m good.”

* * *

 

“You have to be careful when dealing with elemental chakra. Because you’re inexperienced with ninjutsu, you’ll have plenty of chakra burns. But with fuuton chakra, the potential damage is much more dangerous.” Kokage nudged my foot with his, adjusting my stance to give me a firm foundation. “Show me the hand seals, no chakra.”

I licked my lips and raised my hands, following the patterned I’d been studying for weeks as I murmured the names to myself. “Tiger, ox, dog, rabbit, snake.”

He nodded once. “Gather wind chakra to your throat. Just feel it, and then relax it.”

I took a deep breath. Gathering the chakra in my throat was odd and a little more difficult now that I was used to doing it with my hands. I drew it up, shaping it and honing it. It slicked against the inside of my throat as I pulled it up and then it caught as if on a hook, spreading and expanding wildly. I choked, the ground dropping out from under me as the entire world tilted. My fingers clawed at my throat as I gasped desperately around the cotton, the acid, clogging my windpipe. I couldn’t see. All the colors were wrong and blurring and _I couldn’t breathe._

A hand pressed against my back. “Relax your chakra, Mirai-san. Stop holding it.”

His voice clanged in my head and I let out a whimper, trying to release the chakra curled up in my throat. It was like a muscle cramp, just a thousand times worse and I could feel barbed wire constricting around my lungs. Something dug against my neck and _hot, hot, hot_ invaded my system. The knot in my throat—choking, unforgiving, burning—uncoiled and air rasped between my teeth and into my aching chest. Gasping, I relaxed my fingers from where they had locked themselves around my neck. “Wh-what—“

“I’m afraid this sensitivity of yours is going to be more of an obstacle than we thought.”

I blinked my eyes, trying to clear the spiderwebs stretched across my retina. When had I fallen? I uncurled from my fetal position and shuddered at the sandpapery air against my lips. “What am I supposed to do?” I rasped, feeling blood bubbling at the back of my throat.

“You have to desensitize yourself, both to your own use of chakra and to the chakra of others. Until you do that and learn how to gather wind chakra in your throat without your system reacting, I’m afraid I can’t teach you anything else.” His fingers curled around my bicep and he pulled me to my feet. “You can’t move forward in your training until you can use your chakra without almost passing out.” His skin left mine and he shook his head, stepping back and turning his body away from me. “When you can do that, then maybe I can finish teaching you.”

I wasn’t sure what the feeling in my stomach was—disappointment, maybe, or hopelessness—but it was growing stronger as I watched him leave. _Kyuubi?_

A grumble echoed in the back of my head and I knew that he was annoyed. I took the momentary silence as an opportunity to gather up my things. After slinging my backpack across my shoulders, I adjusted the way my sweat-soaked beanie sat on my head and then wiped away some of the grime from my workout before Kokage had appeared.

**What is it, brat?**

_How am I supposed to desensitize myself?_

**As always, you idiocy astounds me. After all, it’s not like any other flesh bag recently took the time to advise your stupid mind about chakra.**

I frowned at his words, digging at the knotted muscles at the base of my neck with my knuckles. I picked through his derogatory terms and insults to try to find what he was saying. It took a moment of me studying the sun to decide that it was late enough that I should go ahead and start home. “Chakra, chakra, chakra,” I muttered, feeling the word on my lips.

The state of feeling stupid in hindsight wasn’t one I enjoyed, but it was one I felt often.

_Oh. That’s what you meant._

I only got a snort of derision in reply, but I knew that I understood now. I tugged down my beanie to block out the unfriendly glances thrown my way by the citizens I was passing, turning down an alleyway for a shortcut.

“Hey.”

The voice echoed from up ahead of me and I stopped, cocking my head at the figure at the end of he alley. It was another kid. I would put him about a year away from Academy graduation, and the fact that he was in the Academy was undeniable; they didn’t sell knuckledusters to just any eleven-year-old. “I don’t have money,” I told him, shifting my right leg back and listening to the other two small chakra behind me.

“My kaachan says you’re a monster. Is that true?” He moved forward with heavy, clunky steps. I wondered what they were teaching kids if he thought that was a good approach to a fight. “Daisuke-sensei says monsters are people who try to hurt Konoha. He says it’s a shinobi’s duty to _take care_ of them.”

I let my bag slide from my shoulders and I dropped it off to the side, closing my fingers around my bo staff. “Well, sounds like you better leave me to the big boys, then. Go find a sandbox and play in it, kiddo.”

There was something satisfying about the way his face lit up red, though I wasn’t sure if he was angry at the barb or at the fact that it was being delivered by a six-year-old that was calling him kiddo. He moved forward and stopped right in front of me, glowering. “Tough talk coming from a twig like you.” Then he snatched for my backpack.

I snapped up my bo staff, dropping my weight as I bent my knees in order to build my foundation. Then my weapon slammed against his chin just as he finished his sentence and his gurgled moan rang in my ears. I flipped my staff down and rammed it into his stomach. As he doubled over, I shifted myself onto one foot and kicked out at him, catching him in the knee hard and feeling it give loudly beneath my blow.

“Riku!” The chakra behind me rushed forward and the world tugged out from under me as something hit me square in the small of my back. The ground rushed up and I tucked my arms over my head as protection. When I hit, my arms slipped and my chin grated against the stony ground. A foot ground into my upper back. “You little devil,” a voice growled, this one female.

I desperately threw my mind back to my grappling training in judo Before. Scissor the legs for momentum and flip. Scissor the— A scream ripped itself from my throat before I even connected the odd metallic burning in my leg with the knife in my skin. I scissored my legs, flinging one over the other and biting down on my lip as I threw myself over, feeling the foot slip from my back. I landed hard and screamed as the metal dug farther into my leg.

I struggled through my blurry vision—when had the tears appeared?—and groped for my attacker. I latched onto a leg and gripped the ankle tightly, drawing my leg back. I kicked. A shriek hit my ears, only to be cut off by a voice that was all too familiar.

“You have three seconds to get your asses out of here.”

Rising bile choked my throat and I rolled onto my side, grasping uselessly for the knife in the back of my thigh. A hand touched my shoulder, gripping me tightly and holding me in place. “Don’t move.” His fingers touched against my thigh and I flinched violently.

“Sh-shi—“

“Don’t talk either.” His hands retreated for a moment and I heard his shoes scuffing against the ground. Then hands grabbed my shoulders, dragging me up. “I’m taking you back to your apartment. Is Naruto there?”

I managed only two things: a whimper and a nod.

“Alright.” A strong arm wrapped around my midsection, crushing me against his chest just a little rougher than I would have liked, and his other arm curled around me knees. “Don’t throw up on me, okay?”

“S-shi— Ah!” Glass melted in my veins and the world lurched around me. The arm around my legs disappeared and I felt myself dangling, the metal in my skin pulsing in time with each angry scream of my heart.

“Naruto?”

“Shisui? What the hell happened?”

I knew that voice. “N-n-nii—“

“Shh, don’t talk.”

“R-rai?” a broken voice asked. “Is she okay?”

My maternal drive kicked into action and I managed to turn my head towards his voice. “Nato,” I rasped, forcing a smile. I couldn’t see anything but a hazy patch of orange. “It’ll b-be okay.”

* * *

 

Upon waking up, I concluded that I must have passed out. I didn’t remember ever making it to my bed or changing clothes. And I certainly didn’t remember my leg being bandaged. I twisted to see the pale red staining the white cloth at the back of my thigh, and shuddered at the echo of metal in my skin. I grasped vaguely at the memories of what had happened and shoved myself up so I could sit against the wall.

“Shisui?” I called hoarsely.

My door opened and I blinked, my eyes taking a moment to clear up my image of the world. The Uchiha leaned against the doorframe for a second. “Good morning, Taichou,” he said, arching an eyebrow. “How are you feeling?”

“Well, not dead,” I croaked, pushing myself up. My thigh burned and throbbed and I dug my fingers into it. “Thanks.”

He moved forward with a sigh. “You should have known better than to use your bo staff. I haven’t finished teaching you the basics yet.”

“But—“

“No. You don’t use a weapon in a fight unless you’re confident in using it.” He held out his hand. “C’mon. You should get some breakfast.”

I curled my small fingers around his rough ones and pulled myself up, limping forward and leaning heavily on him. “Is Niisan still here?”

“Hatake? Yeah, he’s still here.” Shisui tugged me forward and I shuffled after him out into the living room.

“Rai!” Naruto shot up off the couch. “You’re okay.”

I chuckled and held out my free hand to him. “Of course I am.”

He grabbed my hand and then crashed against me, hugging me tightly around my torso. I kissed the top of his head and kept an arm around him as I limped to the table. Kakashi set down a plate in front of me. “Eat up, Mirai,” he murmured, ruffling my hair. I smiled up at him and dug in. The scrambled eggs were bland and the toast was a little overdone, but I was always a firm believer of love being an ingredient. Kakashi at least knew how to cook with that, even if he could burn water.

“Do you want to tell us what happened?” Kakashi asked, loudly pulling up the chair next to me.

“Academy kids are jerks,” I muttered. “I’ve just gotta train harder. It won’t happen again.” I glanced up. “Yanagikage-sensei said I need to get used to chakra or I won’t be able to do the jutsu.” My gaze flicked to Shisui and I could see his frown lines deepening. “You’ll help me, right?”

The Uchiha crossed his arms and his stare jumped to Kakashi for a second before returning to me. “Of course.” Then he cleared his throat. “I was on my way over here to give you this when I found you.” He withdrew a small bag and tossed it on the table. It clinked. Money. I looked up at Kakashi to see his one visible eye narrowing tightly.

“Arigato,” I murmured. Then I cleared my throat and pushed away my empty plate. “You two know each other, then?” I asked curiously. Of course they did. Or at least they knew _of_ each other.

Shisui grinned. “Yep! Actually, my big brother used to be on his team, isn’t that right, _Bakashi?”_

Kakashi snorted, and I genuinely couldn’t tell if it was fond or annoyed. But then my brain caught up to exactly Shisui had said. His brother? But that meant he had to be— “R-really?” I squeaked out.

The Uchiha chuckled. “That’s right. Obito-niisan used to say that Kakashi was the biggest pain in his ass.”

Naruto gasped. “Rai says that’s a bad word! She says I can’t say it, dattebayo!” He pointed dramatically at Shisui. “You can’t say that?”

I giggled and dragged Naruto closer to me, messing up his hair. “Silly. Shisui’s a grown-up. I can’t tell him what to say.” Then I looked towards Kakashi and Shisui and hesitated. “Can you tell me about him? About Obito-san?”

Kakashi cleared his throat loudly and yanked to his feet. “I have a mission. I’ll check up on you when I’m back, okay?”

I’d gone too far. I checked my emotions to keep my disappointment at bay and pulled myself to my feet. I limped forward and tugged my arms around him as best as I could. “Okay. Be safe.”

He nodded and stepped back before vanishing before my eyes. I gritted my teeth and then turned. “Nato, why don’t you practice your writing, okay? I’ll check up on it when you’re done.”

He pouted. “I don’t wanna. I thought was were going to go to the park today!”

I gnawed on my lip. “Um, okay.” I had said that, hadn’t I?

**Scatterbrain.** It rumbled mockingly in the back of my mind.

_Shut up._ “Get dressed and grab your stuff. I’ll pack us a bento.”

Naruto grinned and scrambled off. As I shuffled forward to put my dishes in the sink, the pain in my leg got worse. _Why am I not healing?_

**There’s only so much I can do without alerting others to my help, maggot. Until you can mingle and mask my chakra with yours, then this is the best I can do.**

“You’re not really in any condition to be playing at a park,” Shisui pointed out.

“Naruto is. In fact, you could go grab Sasuke and drag him over.” I grinned up at him. “I’ll just have to hang out with you. You can help me train.”

“You should be resting that leg, not training on it.”

“Chakra training, dummy,” I muttered. “Are you going to get Sasuke or no?”

He chuckled and disappeared, leaving rust in my chakra system.

_Kyuubi._

**Whaddya want?**

_Give me a little extra juice. You don’t have to completely heal me, but I need to be able to walk a bit. I’ll just flood my chakra for a second, okay?_

**As long as you don’t wimp out on me. Go for it,** he muttered angrily.

I gripped the counter tightly and took a deep breath. Then I dragged out a good gallon of my chakra and just pushed it out through my body, radiating pain. Boiling oil dripped down my leg and I choked, my hold loosening. I slumped forward and chomped down on my lip to keep from screaming. I hit the floor hard, but I refused to make any noise. Wouldn’t do to alert Naruto.

Then the burning grease disappeared and I reined my chakra back in.

**That should let you walk.**

_Thanks._ I took a deep breath.

The front door slammed open. “Mirai? Mirai!” An agonizing cough and then Hayate rounded the corner. He glanced around before spotting me on the floor. “Mirai, what the hell was that?”

“I . . . . Jutsu,” I gasped out. “I shouldn’t have tried it on my own.” I licked my lips and tasted blood.

“Damn right you shouldn’t have.”

“Rai?” Naruto stood at the end of the hallway, clutching his backpack. “Hayate? What’s goin’ on, dattebayo?”

I grabbed the hand Hayate offered and dragged myself to my feet. “Nothing, Nato. It’s fine.” I glanced at Hayate. “I’m fine. I won’t do it again.”

He frowned and then nodded. “Make sure you don’t.” He stood and straightened his jonin jacket. “I’m headed out on a mission. Yuugao is still here if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay.” I moved over to the fridge. My leg still hurt and I still limped, but now I could at least move. “Be safe,” I told him with a smile, my typical send off. The man glanced between me and Naruto before nodded and walked away. I picked out some food and went to my bedroom, packing it all away. I changed and then slung my backpack over my shoulders. Then I bent down to tug on my shoes.

“Rai,” Naruto murmured. “Are you okay?”

I looked up to find him standing in my doorway, face drawn. My lips lifted in a smile. “Of course I am, Nato.”

That seemed to reassure him, because he lit up. “Right. You’re the best, dattebayo! C’mon!” He race out into the living room and I felt his chakra move outside. I laughed and rushed after him. Then I paused by the door, frowning at the broken lock. Hayate sure had hurried on his way into our apartment. I sighed and shut the door as I stepped out.

I shuffled after Naruto as best as I could, but he was skipping all over the road on our way to the park. I just did my best to glare at everyone who dared to glare at him. When we reached the park, Naruto squealed and dashed ahead. The other kids parted like the Red Sea in front of him and I hadn’t even reached the monkey bars by the time the parents had all dragged their children away. I glanced around at the empty park.

“Hey, dobe!”

I turned and grinned. “Sasuke-kun! Ohayo, Itachi.”

Sasuke threw a smile at me. “Konichiwa, Mirai! Thanks for inviting me.” He nodded in some semblance of respect before squealing like the adorable child he was and chasing after Naruto. I looked up at the two older Uchiha, the five of us now the only ones left in the park.

Itachi’s brow furrowed minutely, something anyone less accustomed to Uchiha expressions might have missed. “I heard you were attacked, Mirai-chan.”

I took the hand Shisui offered and shuffled my way to the bench where I sat comfortably between the two cousins. “I’m fine. Shisui, you said you would help me, right?”

“I guess I did say that, huh?” He shoved me playfully and I gripped the bench to keep my spot.

I nodded and licked my lips, remembering what Tonbo had said about chakra and how personal it was. It just made me be all the more careful about my next few words. “Shisui, can I feel your chakra?”

His gaze flicked across my face and I fought every instinct inside of me that was begging me to take back what I said. He seemed to study me for a moment. Then he nodded. “If you think that’s what’ll help.”

“Please.”

He nodded again.

I sighed in relief and turned to face him, crossing my legs and resting my back against Itachi’s arm. “Thank you.”

“No problem, Taichou.” He held out his hand, palm down. I reached up and slid one of my hands into his, gripping tightly. I put my other hand over the top of his and took a deep breath. “I’ll start with just a little, okay?” he murmured. I nodded and closed my eyes. He gripped my hand tighter and I shifted, holding him as firmly as I could. Something sparked and stirred in front of me, warm and almost burning hot. It moved and swirled, nothing more than just a hint of power.

Heat grazed my fingertips and I flinched back.

Shisui’s chuckle echoed into my head and I felt his other hand close around the one I was already holding. “Hey, relax. That’s just me.”

A nervous giggle bubbled up in my throat. “Right . . . . Sorry. I’m only used to Nato’s chakra.”

“Well, that’s why we’re doing this. So just relax.” The heat nudged against my fingers again. I took a deep breath and nodded, mumbling my agreement. The burning was gentle, like fire but not the kind that hurt. It pushed around me, pulsing and enveloping me. I forced the tension out of my neck and shoulders and tightened my fingers around his. “I’m going to give you just a bit more.”

The warmth grew and I could feel it humming around me. Comforting in a way. Hesitantly, I reached out with a small pulse of my own chakra. I felt it bump against the barrier his chakra had made around me and I forced my breathing to calm. My chakra boiled angrily, painfully, under my skin as his pressed closer. The simmering settled and I felt my lungs expand as air rasped across my tongue. “Okay,” I murmured.

“More?” I nodded. “Alright. Careful.”

More heat pushed against my system and air pressed hard and hot against my throat. I choke, my tongue peeling back to seal the back of my mouth against my will. I dug my fingers into his hands and desperately shook my head, trying to stop my attack before it began. The heat all snapped away like a rubber band and one of the hands holding mine disappeared. Calloused fingers cupped my chin. “Whoa, there. Breathe.”

I took another few ragged breaths and then opened my eyes, staring up at his blurry face. “S-sorry.”

He chuckled. “You’ll get used to it. Don’t worry about it too much.”

“But I need to learn the jutsu,” I whispered. “And this stupid hypersensitivity—“

“There’s no rush,” Itachi interrupted. “You’re not going into battle tomorrow, Mirai-chan.”

I glanced out at the playground where Naruto and Sasuke were chasing each other on the monkey bars. “Might as well be,” I muttered. “Shisui?”

“Hmm?”

“Could you teach me henge?” I looked down to realize I was still to release my death grip on his hand. I did so and watched as he rubbed the color back into his fingers.

“Henge? Why?”

“You always ask that. You should know the answer by now.” I shifted, straightening.

He sighed heavily and I could feel Itachi stiffen. Then Shisui murmured, “Alright. I’ll teach you.”

* * *

 

**What’s the big event?** he snarled in the back of my head, echoing over my humming as I made breakfast.

_Back Before, today was a special day. A holiday. Unfortunately, it isn’t here and I kinda forget about it. Until you helped me remember the connection between winter and gifts._ I carried the plates over to the table and set out the meal. “Nato!”

**What the hell is today?**

_December 25th. Christmas._ I glanced down the hall, listening to Naruto chakra. It stirred for a moment and that was it. Grinning, I stepped quietly down to his door and pushed it open. “Nato,” I called. “It’s time to wake up.”

He moaned and rolled over, pulling up his covers. “Not yet,” he whined.

I turned on his light and he whimpered loudly. A laugh cracked my lips and I skipped over to his bedside. “C’mon, Naruto, I made breakfast.”

“No.”

I bounced on the edge of his bed and pulled back his covers. He squinted, throwing his arms up around his head. “Wakey wakey!”

“Nooooo.”

I dug my fingers into his sides and he squealed, snapping awake and scrambling away. “Rai!” he shrieked in the midst of giggles. “St-stop!”

I laughed loudly and pulled back. “Breakfast time, silly. Let’s go!”

**Your good mood is sickening.**

I moved back out to the main room. Naruto’s clumsy stumbling echoed out of his room and I grinned, sitting down and digging in to my own food. After a couple minutes, Naruto shuffled out and climbed onto one of the chairs. “Why are you so happy this morning, Rai?”

“It’s the twenty-fifth. Today is a special day, Nato. We’ve got a lot of walking to do.”

“What? Why?”

“I have a bunch of gifts to hand out!” I gathered up my plates and moved to the sink, scrubbing them out. Then I glanced over my shoulder. “And we’ve got some getting ready to do. The Academy starts in just a few days.” Wiping my hands on my pants, I moved over to my bag and unzipped it. “I’ve got something for you.”

“For me?” he asked around a mouthful of hotcakes.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” I reminded him. I glanced back. Naruto yanked his hands back to his lap and smiled at my innocently. My gaze narrowed. “And absolutely no hiding your vegetables under your napkin. I’m not dumb.”

He pouted and lifted his napkin, picking up the bell peppers he’d stashed there. “But I don’t like them!” he whined.

“They’re good for you. I promise. They’ll help you grow into a strong Hokage. But they _won’t_ do you any good if you don’t eat them.” I pulled out the small package, glancing at the word _Naruto_ penned across the brown packing paper in my neat handwriting. “As soon as you're done eating, I can give you your present.”

“My present?” He lit up and then started shoveling food into his mouth. Then, with his plate clear and his mouth stuff full of hotcakes, he mumbled, “Ready!”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Good enough, I guess.” I set the gift in front of him and then collected his dishes. “Go ahead and open it.”

He squealed excitedly and ripped the paper. Then the hyper aspect to his chakra died down. “A . . . box?”

“Open the box, Nato.”

He did so and then blinked at the contents. “What’s this?”

I shuffled back over to his side and leaned against his chair, lifting out the bracelet—a wristlet version of a hitai-ate with the Hokage’s symbol carved into the metal. “It’s to remind you.”

He stared at it, eyes wide. “Whoa . . . . I love it, Rai!” He held out his right arm. “Put it on!”

I did so, tying it around his wrist. “There you go. Whaddya think?”

“I love it.” Naruto threw his arms around me and hugged me tightly. I dragged him up, arms secure around him.

“You need to get dressed and get ready to go. I have a ton more gifts to hand out.” I pulled him down the hall and pushed him into his room. “Five minutes, okay?”

“Okay!” he chirped, scrambling towards his closet. “I’ll be ready.”

**This is a waste of time.**

_Give me this. It’s a nice way to cheer up._ I moved back out into the living room and checked over my backpack again. _Besides, five days and then the Academy hits. Six days of mandatory training every week, and I promise to use the day off to keep working. So relax a bit, Kyuubi._ I dug through the fridge and packed up a couple bento boxes.

“Ready!”

I glanced up and grinned. He had his bag slung over his shoulder and his hands tucked in his pocket. I chuckled and moved forward. His jacket was semi tucked into his pants I adjusted it, zipping it up. “Let’s go visit our neighbors first, okay?”

Naruto dashed out of the apartment first. I closed the door tightly, locking it behind me. I glanced to the side to find him knocking loudly on Hayate and Yuugao’s door. “Wake up!” he yelled. “We have something for you!”

The door opened and Yuugao peeked out, yawning. “What’s going on? It’s too early for this.”

“Happy 25th!” Naruto cheered. “Rai said she has something for you!”

I dug in my bag and pulled out another brown-wrapped package. As I held it up, Hayate joined Yuugao at the doorway, coughing heavily. “What’s this?” he rasped, taking it.

“A gift,” I said, tucking my hand in my pockets. “For the two of you.”

“What’s the special occasion?” Yuugao asked, watching as Hayate opened it.

“It’s the 25th,” I said by way of explanation, smiling thinly.

Hayate arched an eyebrow and tore off the rest of the paper, exposing the expensive both beneath it. “Mirai,” he murmured. “How did you afford a sword care set like this? It’s not cheap.”

I shrugged. “I saved up a lot of money.” Then I tugged on Naruto arm and moved to stand in front of Kotetsu’s door. Hayate and Yuugao waved before closing their apartment. “Wake Izumo up.”

Naruto grinned and started obediently banging on the man’s door. I knocked a bit more politely on Kotetsu’s. Izumo’s door slammed open. “What!” He blinked, scratching at his messy hair. Judging from his sweatpants and lack of shirt, I would guess that we just woken him up. He glanced towards me when I knocked again, then Kotetsu’s door opened.

The other man peeked out, yawning. “Good morning.”

“Aw, c’mon,” Izumo whined. “Why does he get the nice wake up call?”

“I got you presents.” I held out a heavy gift to Kotetsu. Once he took it and started peeling away the paper, I turned and held out another to Izumo. “Here you go!”

“Whoa! How’d you know?” Kotetsu asked, hold up the large jug of pure syrup.

“Disgusting, Tetsu,” Izumo muttered, unwrapping his own present.

“Well at least I didn’t get a gallon of hand sanitizer,” Kotetsu snickered. “Thanks, kid.” He reached out and flicked my nose. “It’s a nice present.”

I beamed up at him and Izumo, who seemed equally pleased. “Nato, let’s go over to Sasuke’s, okay?”

“Yes!” He disappeared and the sound of him running down to the ground echoed through the stairwell.

I sighed and glanced at the two men. “Enjoy. We’ll catch up with you later, okay?” With that, I turned and raced down after Naruto. I yanked off my backpack and held it close to my chest with one arm. When I hit the second floor, I grinned and dashed forward. I leapt forward, reaching out with my free hand like in a dive roll and flying over the railing. Naruto shrieked and I tucked my head, hitting the ground in a roll. I straightened to my feet and glanced over at him, a grin splitting my face. “C’mon, slowpoke.” I yanked my backpack back on and kept running.

“Rai! That’s not fair! I can’t do that, dattebayo!” He raced after me and I shot off, running way ahead of him and weaving through the streets. I dodged a vegetable cart and glanced back to see Naruto narrowly miss getting hit as well.

“I bet I can beat you there, Nato!” I yelled, ignoring the angry snap of another civilian I dodged.

“No way!”

I ducked into an alley and, keeping a close eye on Naruto’s chakra, scrambled up the wall. Chakra hissed across my hands and feet and I dug my fingers harshly into the stone wall’s loose cracks and crevices. I dragged myself up onto the flat roof and crouched low, peering over the edge. Naruto was still racing down the middle of the road. I grinned and turned, taking off running.

**You moronic brat. You’re going to get yourself killed.**

_Relax, I’ve tested this. I’ll make it._ I surged a pinch of chakra to my legs as I jumped, my stomach dropping for just a moment as I flew across the gap between the two buildings. I kept running the moment I hit the other roof, my knees giving just a little on impact. I could see the Uchiha Compound not far away and I leapt a couple more rooftops. Gravel dug into my knees as I crouched low, glancing back again at Naruto several blocks away. I scrabbled across the rooftop and swung over the building edge, humming chakra through my fingertips as I slid down the stone wall. My skin caught and grated and I ground my teeth. Then I hit the ground and dropped to all fours to cushion the drop.

The dirt crunched under my sandals and I noted that I would definitely have to work on silent movement. I ran as fast as I could, pushing my muscles to their limits. The turn in the road approached quickly and I just sped up. Then I snatched at the lamppost and let forward momentum swing me around, dipping my left side low and raking my fingers across the ground to keep myself steady. I let go and slowed my speed, stopping right in front of the compound gates. Naruto’s chakra shone brightly still a ways behind me. I leaned against the gate and took a moment to catch my breath.

“Mirai!”

I looked up just in time to steady myself before Sasuke collided with me. “Hey, Sasuke-kun.” I tucked an arm around him. “We were coming to find you!”

“Really?” He peered at me with those huge, adorable eyes. “What for? Where’s the dobe?”

“He’s on his way.” I glanced up to find Itachi approaching us. “Itachi. I have something for you.” I slung off my backpack, not looking up as I felt Naruto’s chakra round the corner.

“Rai! No fair. How did you get here before me?”

I chuckled and pulled out a package, holding it up. The weight disappeared from my hands and I pulled out the gift labeled for Sasuke. “And _this_ is for you.”

He squealed and took it, ripping the paper off. “Hey, this is your book!”

“Well, not mine,” I corrected. “But a copy of the same book, yeah. I think you’ll like it.” I looked up. “What do you think, Itachi?”

He smiled faintly over the box of dango and new set of red hair-ties in his hands. “Arigato, Mirai-chan. This is a most thoughtful gift. Any reason as to the occasion?”

I shrugged. Naruto grabbed my hand clumsily. “It’s happy 25th!” he yelled happily.

Itachi arched an eyebrow. “Is there something special about the 25th?”

“Not really.” I beamed at him and pulled my backpack on again, carding my fingers through Sasuke’s hair. “Where’s Shisui?”

“I believe he’s out training. Why?” Itachi tucked his gifts away.

“I have something for him too. Can we go find him?” I felt Naruto’s hand shift in my grasp and I smiled up at the Uchiha. After a moment, he nodded and moved past us. Grinning, I hooked an arm through Sasuke’s and started after him. We wound through the compound before reaching the first Uchiha training ground. We passed it. Then another. Itachi stopped at the third. My veins hissed at the chakra Shisui was using as he flashed about the training ground. Itachi glanced at me.

“Shisui,” he called softly.

The burning stopped.

“‘Tachi-chan! And my favorite three little troublemakers.” Suddenly the Uchiha was in front of us, grinning. “Can I help you with something?”

“It seems that Mirai-chan is taking today to hand out . . . gifts.” Itachi rested a hand on my head. “It’s quite thoughtful of her. I got a nice selection of gourmet dango—the expensive kind.”

Shisui’s gaze flicked sharply to me and I could catch the hint of disapproval in his eyes. He knew, after all, that I couldn’t afford fancy things no matter how much I wanted to give them to my friends. “Is that so? Then what is it that you have with me, Taichou?”

I grinned widely at him and reached into my backpack. “Open it and see!”

He took it and folded away the paper I’d taped carefully around his gift. He arched an eyebrow. “You got me . . . is this chocolate?”

“Homemade chocolate fudge,” I amended.

“What, no splurging on a gift for me?”

“I thought you would appreciate this better.”

He eyed me for a moment before lifting a square to his mouth and taking a careful bite. He grinned. “Well, you thought right. This is delicious.” He lifted the box towards Itachi. “Want some?”

“Thank you, but I have my own sweets now,” the Uchiha declined.

Shisui chuckled and closed the box, tucking it away. “This was nice of you, Taichou. Thank you.” He knocked my beanie askew and shoved me playfully.

I groaned and pulled my beanie off, desperately running my fingers through my hair. “You’re always messing up my hair,” I whined.

He chuckled and tugged on my arm. “Alright, alright. Relax. I’ll fix it.” His calloused fingers pulled through my hair. “So, any more gifts to deliver, or are you going to hang out with us and try to cheer Tachi-chan up?”

I frowned and stiffened my neck as he tugged on my hair and I felt it twist. “Does . . . _Tachi-chan_ need cheering up?” The deathly look the younger Uchiha gave me at the nickname was priceless. “Shisui?”

“Well, he’s just been a bit . . . uptight lately. Hair-tie?”

My frown deepened and I peeled a hair-tie off my wrist and held it up for him. What was going on now? The Massacre wasn’t happening yet, I knew that. But there was build up. That was sure to stress anyone out, and Itachi was just twelve. “Right.” My head tugged back and then I felt a soft weight settle against my neck. I reached back and danced my fingers along the new braid in my hair. “Where’d you learn to do that?” I asked, turning to glance up at Shisui.

He grinned down at me. “Hey, I have female cousins too. They’re not all stingy bastards like Tachi-chan. Besides.” He leaned down closer and his voice became a dramatic whisper. “You don’t think he keep his hair in a regular ponytail all the time, do you?”

I glanced towards Itachi. “No way . . . . Hey, Itachi!”

“What is it, Mirai-chan?” he asked, sighing heavily, as if he knew what was going to happen.

“Can I braid your hair?”

“Mirai-chan—“

“Please?” I yanked my beanie back onto my head. “Please, Tachi-chan?”

“Shisui, you’re a poor influence on this girl.”

* * *

 

“Do I want to know how a little girl got her hands on senbon of this quality?” Genma tucked me against his side, examining the box of shinobi needles I’d given him. “Or, ahem, sake? Really, Mirai, really?” He glanced towards the bottle Raidou was studying intently. “What shopkeep sold you _that?_ Not sure it’s exactly legal for you to be buying alcohol at your age.”

“It’s not like _I’m_ drinking it,” I pouted. “Besides, you never answered my question. Do you know where Niisan is? I need to find him today, but Naruto needs to go to bed soon.” I looked over at the boy snoring away on his half of the couch.

“And by Niisan you mean . . . Hatake.”

I looked up again at Genma and nodded. “Hai. Where is he?”

“I think he’s on a mission. Should be back sometime tonight.” He sighed and nudged me to the side as he stood. “Tell you what. If I see him, I’ll send him your way, alright? As of now, you and that little brother of yours should probably make it home.”

I nodded and dragged myself to my feet. After a couple moments of struggle, I managed to fit my crumpled up backpack and my final gift in the remaining space of Naruto’s own bag. I secured it firmly on my back, latching the buckles across my chest, and leaned over my brother. “Nato,” I murmured. “It’s time to go home.”

He groaned, throwing up a hand to cover his exposed ear. Naruto made an exhausted, dysfunctional sound. “I’m tired,” he whined.

A smile twisted my lips. “I know,” I said softly. Then I sighed and crouched down, pulling Naruto’s arms around my neck. “I’ll carry you. But you still have to brush your teeth and get changed when we get home.”

I got a grunt of agreement in return, though he might have been arguing. It was hard to tell. I bent my knees beneath me and slid my arms under his body, lifting him up. “Good night,” I called to the ANBU, turning to leave the Jonin Station.

Genma stared down at us for a moment before sighing. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s late. I’ll walk you home. Give ‘em here.” He bent down and took Naruto into his arms. “Lead the way.”

I blinked and then shrugged, reaching up and grasping his loose sleeve. Then I started forward. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, well,” —his senbon clicked— “I heard about your little fight the other day. Not letting you walk home when it’s dark out and you’re carrying your little brother.”

I shrugged then frowned. “Why do you call him my _little_ brother? We’re twins.”

Genma scoffed. “Age has nothing to do with it, pumpkin. Naruto’s your little brother; that’s just a fact.”

“Pumpkin?” I giggled, swinging my arm a bit and feeling the movement tug on him. “Is that me?”

“Course it’s you. Who else would I be talking about?”

Something tickled at the back of my mind. “Genma, do you like pumpkin? Is this some kind of weird obsession?”

“What? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You keep telling me that.” I released him and skipped up the apartment stairs first. “It’s not going to change anything.” The key clicked a little louder than I liked as I unlocked the door.

Genma shuffled inside after me, setting Naruto none-too-gently on the couch. “Rest up. Academy starts any day now, doesn’t it?”

I grinned up at him. “Yep!” I turned and locked the door. “Do you want water? Juice? We don’t have much else.” I turned back around and blinked. “Genma?”

“Rai?” A yawn.

Disregarding the disappearing shinobi, I shuffled to Naruto’s side. “Nato, you need to brush your teeth and put your pajamas on. Then you need to go to bed.”

“Will you read me some _Gutsy Shinobi_ tonight?”

I studied his gaze and then sighed. “Alright. But just a little bit.”

I only read him half a chapter, leaving him wondering on a good cliffhanger. “Goodnight,” I reminded him, ruffling his hair and pulling the blankets up around him. “The story will still be here tomorrow.”

“But Rai!”

“Sleep.” I pressed a kiss against his forehead. “I’ll wake you up in the morning.” I clutched the book against my chest and moved from the room.

“Goodnight,” Naruto murmured. I closed the door.

“Mirai.”

My heart leapt up into my throat and choked me and I whipped around, raising my right fist and twisting my other hand to protect my ribcage. Kakashi arched an eyebrow at me. A grin slowly split my lips. “Niisan. I got you a gift.”

“So I heard.”

I reached out and slid my hand into his. “C’mon, it’s out here.” I pulled him towards the living room and as I did so I felt my fingers slide against something. Wet, almost silky. I stopped short, not looking back. “Niisan . . . are you okay?”

He pulled his hand back. “What is it you got for me?”

I nodded and closed my hand around the sticky blood on my palm. “Um, here.” The floor creaked a little as I failed to avoid the loud floorboard, moving to my backpack on the couch. I dropped my book and then rummaged around in my bag for a moment before pulling out the small package. The wrapping had gotten beat up throughout the day, but it still took Kakashi a moment to pull it off. “I made the pendant myself. Read a few books at the library on how to do it, and I took me a few tries, but . . . .” I cleared my throat loudly and shoved my hands in my pockets, my elbows suspiciously shaky.

He lifted the lid off and tucked it under the box. He dipped his fingers into the box and then pulled them back. The necklace’s thick chain whistled against itself as it lifted and then grew suddenly silent as the charm lifted from the box. He studied the small wooden rectangle, eye narrowing as he read the kanji I’d painstakingly engraved into it— _okami._ “Arigato, Pup.” He stowed the box away in his pocket. “I promise I won’t lose it.” He ducked his head and lifted his hands slower than I liked, slipping it over his head.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you hurt?”

No answer.

Groaning, I moved over to the wall and flipped the light on. Then I raked my gaze across his hunched form and the bloody hand pressed against his chest. My own hand was still slick with his blood. “I have a med kit.”

“Doubt you have what I need.”

“I bet I do.” I moved to the kitchen. “If you’re not going to go to the hospital, do you think you can let me help you?”

“You don’t have any training.”

“I’ve read. And you can make sure I don’t mess up.” The med kit clicked quietly against the table and I moved to the sink to scrub my hands. “Sit down.”

He sighed and the chair groaned as he did so. I dried off my hands and opened a drawer, picking up a stack of hand towels. I dropped them on the table and began pulling on gloves. Kakashi hissed as he peeled off his bloody shirt and I inwardly questioned his willingness to trust his wellbeing to a little girl. His new necklace fell against his collarbone heavily as he gasped for air. My gaze dropped to his upper left chest and my breath caught in my throat. “Wh-what . . . ?”

“Kunai. It’s not a deep wound; the knife glanced.”

I nodded and then took one of the hand towels, pressing it against the deep gash. “Hold this,” I murmured.

His bloody hands fumbled over my gloved ones for a moment, pressing the towel hard against his chest. I moved back to the kitchen and dug through the cabinets before pulling out a bowl and plastic pitcher. I ran the water until it was warm and then filled the pitcher up a good two-thirds of the way. “I’m not going to give you stitches. I’ll pack the wound.”

He grunted in reply.

I stirred in a few tablespoons of salt and moved back over to the table. “Lean forward,” I whispered, peeling away the towel. I pressed the bowl against his stomach, poised under the wound and guided him as he leaned. His blood echoed as it dripped against the metal. I directed his hands to hold the bowl and then I smoothed a gloved finger above the wound. “This’ll hurt, I think.”

He chuckled, but it broke off into a hiss as I began pouring the saline solution over the gash. A giggle of my own broke loose from my lips. “Told you,” I muttered. I poured slowly and evenly, watching as the stream ran red then pink then faintly clear. I stopped just in time to leave myself a few tablespoons more of saline water. I set the pitcher down and pressed another clean towel against his cut. “Hold.” I took the bowl and set it aside, ignoring the swishing blood and water. I took a moment to cut my tape and prepare the dressing.

“Why do you know how to do this?” Kakashi murmured, voice rasping against the quiet.

“Like I said, I read a lot. Besides, it’s a helpful thing for a shinobi to know.” I dampened the gauze. “Deep breaths. Tell me if it’s too tight.” I peeled the towel back and dropped it into his lap, pressing a finger on either side of the gash. I used my other hand to push the gauze into the wound. It resisted and I frowned, twisting it just slightly. Kakashi hissed but I ignored him, packing the gauze in firmly. Then I held it in place with one hand and reached back, snatching up the gauze sponge. “How’s it feel?” I began taping the gauze sponge down.

“You’re not a shinobi.”

“I will be.” I finished off the tape and then began to do the same with the small square of plastic.

“But you’re not yet.”

I hummed in response and peeled off my gloves so I wouldn’t stain the wrap with red. I leaned forward and reached as far around him as I could to wrap it around his chest, a couple times over his shoulder, and then around his chest again before I cut it and taped it down. “Finished.” I carried the bowl and bloody towels to the sink. I dropped the towels into the trash and began rinsing out the bowl.

“Pup?”

I paused and glanced back at him. His hitai-ate was in his hand but his eye was still closed. I couldn’t help but wonder how painful it was to get a scar like that. “Hai, Niisan?”

“Don’t grow up. Not yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Answer: Wind. There’s a lot of potential for what you can do with it. Depending on how well you can control it, you can suffocate someone with too much air or too little. You can leave a crime scene without leaving a weapon. Or, you know, you can fly. That’s pretty cool too.
> 
> Question: If you could enter any fictional world in existence, which would you choose?
> 
> Today’s suggested fanfic: Mind the Gap by Sage Thrasher. (on FF.net)


	8. Chapter Seven - Cynosure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Cynosure - noun 1: something that strongly attracts attention by its brilliance, interest, etc. 2: something serving for guidance or direction]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I’ve noticed a few people comment on how this seems to be a Hiruzen-bashing fic, and I’m sorry if it has come across that way. I’m actually a fan of Hiruzen in the anime/manga. The only person here to really dislike the Hokage is Mirai, and the reasoning for that becomes more clear as the story goes on, as well as Hiruzen’s reasoning for treating her the way he does. They reach a kind of understanding in this chapter.  
> And whoops, apparently this is all I could fit in this chapter. Sorry. I’m trying to keep chapters from getting too big so I’ve been trying to keep this around 10k words max. This chapter right now is at 11k. I’ve gotten a few comments on how slow everything is moving. I’m aware that some people don’t like the pace, but I’ll be leaving it just about where it is now. Developing Mirai’s skill set, among other things, is important and something I don’t want to leave out. Besides, there’s a lot of important interactions currently happening (Mirai with her older friends/makeshift family, such as Kakashi and Genma and Shisui, and Naruto’s friendship with Sasuke) as well as interactions that will happen very soon (mostly referring to the twins and the rest of the Rookies). This story is slow paced. That’s just how it’s going to be.  
> I have actual reasoning behind Kakashi calling Mirai Pup and it ties in with my own personal lore for the Hatake Clan. Unfortunately, that’s something I can’t really get into with this fic since it’s so far removed from the plot of this story. But there is another fic that will hopefully (eventually) be published that explores it.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Um, seriously? We’re still doing this? Naruto. Is. Not. Mine.
> 
> I give you the eighth installment of Samsaric.

**“You need to focus. Stop letting your weak mind wander off.”**

“I’m trying,” I muttered, gritting my teeth and squeezing my eyes shut.

**“Try harder.”**

“What do you think I’m doing?” I snapped, digging my fingers into my thighs.

**“Failing. Losing. Fucking over your future self by not doing anything right because you’re a maggot-infested bag of meat with no skill, no talent, no intelligence, and not a single valuable bone in your body.”** Hot, burning air hissed across my dry skin and the floor trembled under me like a heavy, silent earthquake.

A chill—misplaced—crawled through sinew and tendons and slithered around my spine. I opened my eyes slowly and took a deep breath, meeting the angry orange of my literal inner demon. “Well good morning, grumpy. I haven’t heard a threat like that from you in a while. What’s the special occasion?” I rose from my seiza, smoothing out the knots in my muscles with my knuckles. “Because I’m getting pissed by this attitude of yours. We’re supposed to be working _together._ Doesn’t seem like you’re that invested, now, does it?” I took a step forward, ignoring the warning huff that told me to stay away.

**“I’m starting to doubt your ability. You’re weak.”**

“I’m human.”

**“You’re incapable.”**

“I’m stubborn.” Another few steps and I reached out, touching my fingers against the iron bars. “I’m not going to take no for an answer. I’ll get this. Really, I will. But guess what, working together takes a little thing called _trust._ Maybe you’ll learn what that is at one point.”

**“Don’t test me, scumbag.”**

“I’m not. I don’t need to. You’re not dumb, and you’re certainly not so prideful that you would let an opportunity like this slip through your fingers.”

**“Opportunity?”** Kurama leapt forward, slamming against the bars. I felt my spine lock straight but I refused to budge. **“Don’t put yourself on a pedestal. You’re not precious, you’re not special. You’re a means to an ends.”**

“Fine. But you have to make these _means_ work,” I snarled. “Stop letting your damn ego get in the way! I’m trying, but you’re just sitting there with that smug face of yours not doing anything. Cooperate!”

He pulled back and then lowed himself onto his paws. **“Fine. If you want cooperation, then I’ll give you cooperation. Sit your ass down and pull on your chakra. I’ll give you some of mine and whatever happens, suck it up and deal with it instead of whining like a prissy bitch. No passing out, no hospital visits. If you want to do this, then we’re doing it my way. You’re going to bleed, and you’re going to learn to love it.”** His lips curled back and he snapped his teeth at me, canines glaring.

I shifted my feet below me, listening to the rasp of my sandals on the concrete floor. Then I released the bars, rubbing my fingers in a feeble attempt to forget the feel of cold iron. “Alright. I’ve been willing to bleed, Kyuubi. I’ve been willing to give what it takes. Maybe now you’ll just give me what I need to get there. We have an agreement; honor it.”

He curled his claws against the ground and the sound that echoed around me was reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard. **“Well, you don’t lie when you say you’re stubborn. You’re going to need to learn how to keep from screaming.”**

* * *

 

“Are you ready for the Academy tomorrow?” I dodged the toy shuriken thrown my way. “Got everything?”

“Yep!” Sasuke pouted as one of my own throws made it mark and retaliated by landing one on Naruto. “And you’re ready, Mirai? You look tired.”

I frowned and was about to answer when a voice interrupted me. “He’s correct, Mirai-chan. You have started to look more and more exhausted lately.”

I glanced up. “I just didn’t sleep well last night, that’s all, Itachi.” I leaned a bit to the side to look behind him. “Is Shisui here?”

“No. Shisui’s on a mission.” He barely tilted his head in what anyone else might have said was nothing significant, but I was slowly becoming an expert in Uchiha body language—which was practically another tongue altogether. “Why?”

I glanced towards Sasuke and Naruto and nodded to them. They grinned and scrambled away, shouting at each other about who could climb a tree better. I sighed and moved forward, collecting the fallen toy weapons. “I was hoping we could start working on henge.”

Itachi sighed with more obvious emotion that I’d seen from him before. “Mirai, please don’t misunderstand me, but you are, in fact, aware that there are other Uchiha who are shinobi here, correct?” He took the toy shuriken from me with steady hands and tucked them away in his kunai pouch.

In the back of my head, Kurama mumbled something obscene about getting help from yet another Uchiha. I arched an eyebrow. “Are you saying you’ll help me train, Tachi-chan?”

“As long as you resist calling me that,” he replied calmly, though there was a hint of snark. “Besides, it’s obvious that you have no intention of halting this practice of yours. I can no longer attempt to dissuade you from pushing yourself so hard at such an early age by simply ignoring the fact that it is happening. I can only do my best to make sure that you do it correctly and take care of yourself. And, since you’re so determined to prepare yourself for the future, I see it only right that I should do the same.” He knelt down in the grass in a seiza. “Besides, Shisui seems to have taken quite a shine to you. He doesn’t do that with just anyone. There’s obviously a reason why he thinks you’re worth teaching and why your overzealous training is worth encouraging. I have elected to trust him.”

I wasn’t sure how long it took me to realize I was staring, but then I cleared my throat. “Uh, wow. Arigato, Tachi-chan.”

“Itachi,” he corrected bluntly.

A grin cracked my face. “Itachi. Right. Well? What are you wanting to teach me, then?”

“What are you hoping to learn?”

I sank into a seiza as well, staring at him and tilting my head to the side. “Touché,” I murmured, gaze flicking to Naruto and Sasuke as they hung upside down in the trees. “Taijutsu, please.”

“Taijutsu?”

“Hai. I have the exercises Kakashi taught me, and Shisui has been teaching me some stances with my bo staff, but it’s not the same.”

“Do you have a specific style in mind?”

“I’ve looked at several,” I said, shrugging. “But I think I’ll end up learning from them all to form my own style.”

“Typically, that is what happens.”

That made sense, of course. Otherwise, it would be far too easy to predict an opponent’s moves. I hadn’t really thought about it before. “Where do you think I should start?”

“I know a few basic taijutsu styles,” he responded. “That is, as long as you’re willing to learn.” Itachi straightened. “Are you?”

“Of course.” I let my grin split my face and felt some of my weariness lift itself from my eyes. “What should I do?”

“Show me your stance.”

I fell into my stance, which was a meld of what Kakashi had taught me and what I had learned in martial arts Before. I separated my feet more to give myself a wider base and bent my knees, dropping some of my weight to make myself steadier. I brought up both hands, my left slightly forward and higher than my right, and dragged my right foot back a few inches.

He reached out and gave my shoulder a strong shove. I stumbled back a few steps. “Good. Put less weight on your heels. Keep your knees over your feet.”

I made those adjustments and he shoved me again. “Loosen up. Stiff muscles translate my hit to the rest of your body.”

As I shifted again, the boys rejoined us. “Rai, whatcha doing, dattebayo?”

“Itachi is helping me with my training.” Then I frowned, still in my stance. “Are you done, already?”

“Yeah, I’m hungry.” As if to punctuate his statement, Naruto’s stomach grumbled loudly. "Can we have dinner?"

I glanced at Itachi and relaxed from my stance. “Alright. Do you want Ichiraku?”

He lit up. “Ramen! Bye, Teme!” he yelled, already running off.

I smiled apologetically at the Uchiha. “Arigato, Itachi. I’ll see you at the entrance ceremony tomorrow, Sasuke-kun. Bye.” I snatched up our things and dashed after Naruto’s retreating chakra. “Nato, that’s the wrong way.” I held out my hand.

His small fingers gripped mine. “I knew that,” he mumbled.

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m excited for tomorrow,” he chirped. “Who do you think our sensei will be?”

Iruka came to mind, but I wasn’t sure. “I don’t know. I don’t know any Academy chunin sensei. Ohayo, Teuchi-san.”

“Good evening, Mirai-chan, Naruto-kun.” The man smiled down at us kindly. “What can I get for you?”

“I’ll take three salt. Five miso for Naruto.” I pushed my brother towards a stool and then climbed onto the one next to him.

“Coming right up. Ayame, how are the noodles looking?” He moved off.

“Nato? Are you ready for tomorrow?”

He offered up a bemused look. “I thought you got everything ready.”

A laugh fought its way out of my throat. “Of course I did. I have bento boxes done, our equipment, and our bags packed. I don’t think I forgot anything.”

“I doubt you did. Sounds like you’re prepared.” Someone sat down to my right and I looked up.

“Genma!” I beamed. “Hi!”

“Ohayo, kiddos. I’ll take a pork ramen, Teuchi.” He glanced towards us. “The real questions is, are you _mentally_ ready to start the Academy? You’re not scared, are you?”

Naruto scrunched up his nose and puffed out his chest. “Of course not! A Hokage is never scared!”

Teuchi returned, setting a bowl in front of each of us. “The other bowls will be ready as soon as you finish.”

“Itadakimasu,” I murmured, breaking apart my chopsticks and digging in. Naruto slurped loudly with his own noodles. I finished my bowl and thankfully took the next one Teuchi gave me. “Genma?”

“What is it, Pumpkin?” He glanced to the side but didn’t pull himself away from his noodles.

“Do you think you could train me? With some kunai, shuriken, and senbon work?”

He paused and then slowly lowered his chopsticks to his bowl, turning to look at me. “Train you?”

“Hai.” Something vaguely uncomfortable stirred in me at the disappointed look in his eyes. “I mean, if you don’t want to—“

“No. I don’t want to. You’re a child, Pumpkin. You shouldn’t be so worried about constantly training to become a shinobi.” He leveled his gaze evenly at me. “You’re just a kid. You should start acting like it.”

“I was attacked a few weeks ago. I could have died. Even with all my training, I lost. That means I need to train more, not less.”

“It was random, Mirai. It won’t happen aga—“

“It was _not_ random,” I muttered. “It’s going to happen again and I don’t know when it’ll stop, if ever. That’s why I need to train. I just . . . thought I could ask you for help. Sorry. I get it.”

He squinted at me, senbon and chopsticks alike abandoned on the counter. “It wasn’t random?” he asked suspiciously.

A deep breath. “You know it wasn’t.”

“Aa,” he agreed. Genma heaved a sigh. “Shit, I hate how smart you are sometimes.”

“Whatcha talking about, dattebayo?”

“Training,” I quipped. My gaze flicked towards Genma again. “Well?”

He picked up his senbon and spun it between his fingers. “Take a month. Then talk to me again.”

* * *

 

The Hokage Tower had never really seemed daunting to me before. I suppose I’d never seen it from behind, having to stare at the Academy’s full yard of new students and their parents and feeling incredibly scared and alone as I clung to Naruto’s hand more than he clung to mine. “We should just go inside,” I murmured. I didn’t bother to see if he agreed with me. I moved forward, feeling his fingers tighten around mine as he followed. I tensed my shoulders against the burning chakra signatures as we stepped into the yard.

“Mirai-chan, Naruto-kun.”

I stopped short and tugged on Naruto’s hand to make him do the same. Then I glanced towards the familiar voice and lit up. “Tachi-chan.”

He sighed heavily but didn’t protest, glancing down at the boy standing next to him. “Sasuke seems to have forgotten to eat breakfast this morning in his excitement. I would appreciate it if you would ensure that he at least eats his next meal.”

I arched an eyebrow at the boy, grinning. “Will do. Actually.” I released Naruto and dug through my bag. “I have some onigiri if you’re hungry now.” At Sasuke’s enthusiastic nod, I retrieved the rice ball from the bento box and held it out to him. “Are you staying for long, Tachi-chan?”

He stared at me for a moment too long and then shook his head. “No. I already attended the entrance ceremony—something I noticed the two of you weren’t at.”

“Oyaji had Kamano-san give us orientation instead,” I murmured, taking Naruto’s hand again. “A few weeks ago. He said something about there being lots of papers at the entrance ceremony that guardians need to sign.”

“Ah.” He didn’t say anything else in response to that, reaching out to poke Sasuke in the forehead. “Shisui and I will be here once your class lets out, understand?”

“Hai, Aniki.” Sasuke beamed up at him. The older Uchiha nodded to us respectfully and then vanished. I grit my teeth fiercely against the boiling chakra.

I held out my free hand to Sasuke. “Are you coming?”

He fumbled to switch his food to his other hand and then he grabbed my fingers with his sticky, rice-coated ones. “Yeah. I bet we’re going to have a super cool sensei.”

I pulled them both towards the door, shrugging. “Maybe. Do you remember which room is ours, Nato?"

He turned wide eyes to me. "Did you forget?"

"Of course not," I said, stopping in front of Room 5. “I just wanted to see if you remembered.” I released them both and slid open the door. There were a few other kids already inside the room, but there was no chunin sensei. The boys shoved past each other to get inside first and I sighed, closing the door behind me. My first instinct was to take a seat front and center, but I paused at the end of the row. Chances were that the sensei wouldn’t be to terribly fond of me. Better not to bring too much attention to myself.

I slipped into a seat in the middle row on the left side, next to the window, and Naruto and Sasuke squabbled for a moment over the seat next to me. Naruto won. _So, today’s the day,_ I mused to Kurama in boredom.

**Don’t speak to me.**

That drew a pout to my lips and I sighed. So much for that. After I raked my gaze across the empty tables in front of us, I turned to look at those sitting behind us. In the back row sat a boy I didn’t recognize. A couple seats in front of him sat a girl with bright and curly orange hair, and I certainly didn’t remember her. But the boy sitting directly behind Sasuke was unmistakable.

“Ohayo,” I offered, giving up a grin and hoping that it was convincing and warm. “I’m Uzumaki Mirai.”

His eyes widened and he looked around for a moment in absolute confusion. Then it seemed to register that yes, I really _was_ speaking to him. “Konichiwa,” he responded hesitantly. “Akimichi Choji.” He paused awkwardly, crinkling the bag in his hand. And then, as if he didn’t know what else to do, he held the food out. “Want a chip?”

I paused, desperately trying to think if there was something special about an Akimichi offering food. There had to be, right? I mean, food was practically what defined the Akimichi. But I couldn’t think of anything, so I just smiled and reached into the bag. “Sure. Arigato.” I shoved the whole thing in my mouth and salt burst across my tongue. “Yum,” I murmured. “Ooo, garlic too?”

Choji’s eyes widened. “You can taste that? Wow! A lot of people don’t pay attention to that stuff.”

“Hiya!”

Choji squeaked in surprise, crumpling his bag of chips a little as Naruto popped up right in front of him. “O-ohayo,” he stuttered out.

“I’m Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo! And this teme,” —here, he jerked a thumb towards the third member of our party— “is Uchiha Sasuke. What are those markings on your face? Did you forget breakfast like Teme too? Is that why you’re eating?”

“Nato,” I sighed, half fond and half exasperated. “He’s part of the Akimichi clan. Those are his clan markings, and the Akimichi eat a lot because they need it for their jutsu.” I turned at smile at the confused boy. “Right, Choji-san?”

“Umm.” He nodded. “Yeah. Choji is fine, though.”

“Right.”

The sound of the door sliding open caught my attention and I glanced back around. Then I felt Choji’s chakra perk up. “Shikamaru!” he called. “Over here!”

The brunet’s lazy gaze dragged over to Choji and the boy nodded once. As he drew closer, taking the stairs slower than I’d ever seen anyone take them before, he murmured, “Mendokuse. Ohayo, Choji.”

The rotund boy beamed at him. “Shikamaru, I met some of our classmates.” He shoved an entire handful of chips in his mouth before pointing an oily finger at me. I smiled. “This is Mirai. And Naruto . . . .” He trailed off, pursing his lips. “Hey, are you two . . . .” He squinted at us.

I felt a grin curling is way across my lips. “We’re twins.” Then I motioned to the next person over. “And that’s Sasuke. It’s nice to meet you, Shikamaru.”

“Are you an Akimichi too?” Naruto asked excitedly. “Where are your marks, dattebayo?”

I groaned, but before I could respond Shikamaru sniggered. “I’m a Nara, not an Akimichi. We don’t have marks.” He slouched into the chair next to Choji and then slumped forward, folding his arms on the desk and resting his head on them.

Choji’s bag of chips crinkled as it tapped against Shikamaru’s arm. “Chip?”

“No thanks,” came the tired drawl.

The door opened again, but this time it was a flood. Babbling children—and it was such a blunt reminder of exactly where I was—rushed into the room in waves, quarreling over seats and shoving each other out of the way. The chairs in the row in front of us got knocked over as two six-year-olds argued loudly over who got the window seat. I flinched back at the fluctuating chakra around me, screwing my eyes shut and tapping my fingers rhythmically on the desk as I waded through all the energy in the room. It was getting easier, being around chakra.

And then a new energy smoldered against the edge of my senses, bigger and brighter than the others. This was an adult. I opened my eyes, glancing around the room to locate the source. When I found him, I frowned upon realizing I didn’t recognize him. Naruto elbowed me furiously. “Rai! I think that’s our sensei,” he whispered poorly.

I nodded in agreement, studying the chunin as he walked to the desk and set down the large bag he was carrying. His face was squarish, with deep-set eyes an a broad nose. Part of me wondered it that made it easier for him to smell. The other part of me told it to shut up.

“Quiet.”

The word somehow managed to ring throughout the entire room, but I could have sworn that he’d said it as barely more than a whisper. The room fell suddenly silent and I was left with nothing but the painful chakra grating itself on my senses.

“I’m Korudo Bekko. I’ll be your chunin sensei. Please take out something to write with and something to write on. I will be going over this classroom’s rules and I will not be repeating myself. The shinobi world moves quickly, and you are expected to do the same.” He paused for just a moment, lips parted as if he was impatiently already forming his next few worlds while the sound of rustling paper fill the room. I slipped my brand new notebook out of my bag and clicked my pen.

Then, before the sound of kids searching in their bags stopped, Bekko continued. “While I am speaking, there will be no talking amongst yourselves.” The sound of pens and pencils scratching against paper filled the room. “Class begins at precisely eight every morning. Tardiness of even a few seconds will result in some sort of punishment. The most common form of discipline in this classroom will take the form of more assigned work, whether written or physical, and detention.As your sensei, I expect to be treated with respect. You will call me Bekko-sensei and will raise your hand before I call on you to speak. Lastly, be aware that in this classroom, my word is law.”

I scratched a general paraphrase of his words across the first page in my notebook. Then, seeing that he was done with the rules, I turned the page. Naruto glanced at me curiously and then did the same.

Bekko opened the bag on his desk and pulled out a couple small scrolls. Each one had a tag hanging from its end. He cleared his throat and then all the sounds of writing stopped. “I have here storage scrolls that are filled with the books, information, and supplies that the Academy has provided you for this year of schooling. When I call your name, I would like for you to come forward and claim your scroll. I will also check you off as in attendance.” With that, he fell silent as he removed each scroll from the bag and set it out on his desk. By the time he had finished, I counted twenty-five scrolls.

I glanced around, trying to estimate how many of us there were. Sure enough, there were twenty-five. It really seemed like there had to have been more of us.

“Abe Kenichi.”

The boy that got to his feet was rather short for a six-year-old. He ran a shaky hand across his buzzcut and shuffled forward, moving past our desk. I wrinkled my nose. He practically reeked of sweat. When he took the scroll from our sensei and walked back to his spot, I turned my head away to try to limit his assault on my senses.

“Aburame Shino.”

Now there was a name I knew. I threw my gaze across the room to try to find the young boy I knew would grow up to be a terrifying shinobi. He rose from his spot in the front on the opposite of the room. “Arigato, Bekko-sensei,” he murmured, taking the scroll and moving back to his seat in complete silence.

_How the hell does he do that? I still can’t figure out how to walk without making noise._

Unsurprisingly, Kurama didn’t respond.

“Akimichi Choji.”

Behind be, someone squeaked and a chip bag rustled loudly. A chair thumped and I glanced back to find Choji squeezing his way into the aisle. His face was red—from embarrassment or something else, I wasn’t sure—as he shuffled down the stairs and held his hand out for the scroll. Bekko glanced at him absently and dropped the scroll into the boy’s palm, already reading off the next name.

“Fujimoto Ryoichi.”

I smiled at Choji as he climbed up the stairs again. He caught my gaze in surprise and then gave me a hesitant smile in return. He bumped loudly against Shikamaru’s chair as he struggled to get back to his own.

“Hamasaki Sumiko.”

My gaze tore from Choji to follow the dark-haired girl as she skipped to the front of the room. I didn’t recognize her either. Just how many students were here that had just been background noise to the anime? Just how many of them had died—quick and silent—without being mentioned? How many had fallen into mediocrity? Was that what I had been Before?

“Haruno Sakura.”

My vague existential crisis was interrupted as a bright blotch of pink at the front of the room moved. The girl kept her head bowed and her shoulders hunched as she moved. Her tiny voice squeaked out, “Arigato,” before she rushed back to her seat. I watched her for a moment longer, trying to match her with the violent kunoichi in my memory. Two more names were called—Hisakawa Takahiro and then Himura Ami—but I ignored them, frowning at the way Sakura huddled in on herself. Well, that wouldn’t do. I’d have to fix that.

**Egotistical.**

_I won’t argue with that._

“Hyuuga Hinata.”

It took me a moment to find the girl as she stood up from her spot, secluded away at the back of the classroom. But she moved forward and—

_Oh my Kami, she’s so fucking cute!_

That roused Kurama from his petulant anti-social state. **Inari-sama above, do you ever wash that filthy mouth of yours?**

_But look at her,_ I cooed mentally, watching as the pink-faced chibi of a girl rushed back to her seat in hopes of shaking all the attention on her. I barely paid attention to the next name called—Ikeda Yuu—and instead stared at the empty seats around the girl. I certainly had my work cut out for me.

“Inuzuka Kiba.”

“Hell yeah!” the boy yelled, jumping to his feet.

“Language,” Bekko corrected, not seeming to really care as he handed the scroll off and called the next name. “Ishida Unagi.”

Kiba grinned and, scroll in hand, jogged back to his seat. I frowned, tapping my fingers on my thigh. He didn’t have Akamaru with him. That made sense, of course. Akamaru had been a puppy around graduation time, right? So he couldn’t be alive just yet. But when would he be showing up, then?

“Kawaguchi Kasumi.”

I didn’t recognize that name either and I vaguely wondered if I should be trying to remember all these new people. The orange-haired girl bounced excitedly down the steps and took her scroll. “Arigato, Sensei!” she chirped, and I’d genuinely never heard such a low voice on a girl her age. Maybe she had a cold or something, but I wasn’t sure if that was better.

“Nakano Tobio.”

The boy that moved had a hairstyle reminiscent of Shikamaru’s, but the spring in his step was the complete opposite of the other brunet’s lazy saunter.

“Nara Shikamaru.”

Speak of the devil. I fought back the smirk threatening to quirk my lips when I heard his heavy sigh. A chair scraped loudly and the classroom’s atmosphere grew awkward as Shikamaru apparently decided to take as long as he could in walking down towards the front of the room. Apparently, it was getting on our sensei’s nerves as well; Bekko grunted and half tossed, half threw the scroll to Shikamaru. It bounced off the boy’s chest and rolled across the floor before coming to a stop. He stared at it, then up at our sensei, then down at the scroll again. Then he groaned like an old man and bent over to pick it up.

I snickered. Loudly.

Bekko’s sharp gaze jumped to me and I found the sound choked off in my throat as I recognized that familiar disgust twisting the light in his eyes. I swallowed the rest of my laughter and it settled like hot rocks in my stomach. “I’d appreciate you showing more respect to your classmates, _Uzumaki.”_

The tone of his voice almost made it sound like he was saying _Kyuubi_ instead of my family’s name. But I refused to be intimidated by someone like him. I met his gaze, even though I had to curl my hands into fists to stop their shaking. “My apologies, Sensei.”

I got some satisfaction in seeing the way he flinched a bit at the address. I supposed he wasn’t fond of the idea of teaching me. He cleared his throat. “Nogami Katsuo.”

Shikamaru trudged lazily back up the stairs, catching my gaze for just a second. “Sorry,” I murmured lowly. I wasn’t even sure if he could hear me.

He shrugged in complete apathy and climbed into his seat.

“Sato Hibachi.”

Naruto nudged me and I glanced at him. The worried look in his eyes set my teeth on edge. “What is it?” I whispered.

His gaze flicked towards Bekko and he gave a slight whine. I resisted the urge to bare my teeth. Instead, I took his hand in mine and offered a smile.

“Tachibana Chikako.”

Naruto whined once more and Sasuke glanced over at us, frowning. He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something.

“Uchiha Sasuke.”

He shot to his feet so quickly that his chair clattered backwards. He paused, face burning red as he glanced over at us. I released Naruto and waved at him to go. He nodded and then hurried down the stairs. I leaned out of my chair and rightened the furniture Sasuke had knocked over.

“Ueno Kota.”

Sasuke shuffled back over to us and gave me a grateful glance. I smiled and settled back in my chair, only to have my name called with a level of disdain I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard before.

“Uzumaki Mirai.”

I got to my feet with deliberate slowness and nudged Naruto forward as I squeezed behind him. I patted Sasuke on the head as I passed him, messing up his hair. He squealed indignantly and I suppressed my grin, stepping down the stairs. I stopped in front of the desk and held out my hand. Bekko dropped the scroll into my palm as if he didn’t want to touch me. I didn’t move my hand. “I’ll take Naruto’s too.”

He paused for just a second before obliging. I closed my hand as best as I could while holding both scrolls. I offered up a smile, letting my lips curl more than usual in order to make sure my unusually sharp canines showed. “Arigato, Bekko-sensei. I look forward to learning from you.”

“Go back to your seat, Uzumaki. Yamada Fuki.”

I turned and jumped back up the steps, passing the oddly masculine girl—that must be Fuki—that was walking towards the front of the room. “Excuse me,” I murmured to Sasuke, grinning a little as I messed his hair up again. He shot me a look and scooted his chair forward to let me by. I sat down and set Naruto’s scroll in front of him.

“Yamanaka Ino.”

The girl was easy to find, her platinum blonde hair a stark contrast agains the sea of dark colors. Blond wasn’t a common hair color in Konoha, after all. She practically skipped to the front of the room and offered up a chiming, “Thank you, Bekko-sensei!” as she plucked the scroll from his hands.

“Yamashita Matsuri.”

I ripped my gaze from Ino to look at the new girl. I hadn’t realized that dreads were a style in this universe as well, and I cringed internally. It was the sound of Bekko clearing his throat again that drew my attention.

“Attendance will be taken each day. Upon it being marked that you are here, you will receive one hundred points. Points will be docked during the day for various infractions: tardiness, failure to follow orders, and the like. Anyoneat or below seventy-five points at the end of the day will be assigned detention. Anything at or below fifty points will result in three days of detention. Anything at or below twenty-five points will result in a week of detention. At the end of the week, anyone with a cumulation of points at or below three hundred fifty will be given a week to complete eight hours of community service.”

I blinked, taking a moment to process that these rules were for _six-year-olds._ Of course, six-year-olds that were shinobi-in-training, but still. I bent my head and scratched this new information in my notebook. I glanced to the side and realized that Naruto and Sasuke weren’t writing a thing, probably thinking they could just get the information from me later. Not that they were wrong, the jerks.

“Today is an assessment day. This both to supplement the Academy’s records as well as to allow me to evaluate your skill and teach you appropriately. Please put away everything but a writing implement while I pass out the tests.”

I snapped my notebook shut and put it in my bag. Then I turned back and clicked my pen again. It would probably be smarter to use a pencil on a test, but I’d never been particularly fond of them. Bekko handed of a stack of paper to Sasuke. The Uchiha peeled out one stapled pack for himself and handed the other two off to us. I took my test and flipped through it. I reached the end and glanced at the bottom right corner. Page 78. With a sigh, I settled in for the long haul and wrote my name across the top of the exam in my perfect, practiced kanji.

* * *

 

When we got outside, Naruto cackled hysterically and collapsed, kissing the ground. “Free! We’re free, dattebayo!”

I stopped short, staring at him flatly. “Nato, we still have three more hours of class. You do realize that, right?”

My brother groaned comically and rolled onto his back, blocking the pathway for the students still filtering out of the building and into the yard. I sighed. “Nato, get up. We need to eat.”

“U-um. Do you want to eat with us?”

I blinked, the voice taking me off guard. I looked to the side to find Choji and Shikamaru standing there. The Akimichi shuffled nervously, crumpling the empty pretzel bag in his hands. I glanced back at the Academy doors. They were closed. Then I looked out at the yard. Everyone else was already sitting down and eating. I glanced directly to my left to find Sasuke staring at me in confusion. Yep, Choji had definitely been talking to me. That was when I realized I hadn’t answered yet. “Oh, of course.” I offered up a soothing smile. Keeping my gaze on Choji, I reached down and hauled Naruto to his feet. “Where would you like to sit, Choji-kun?”

He stuttered for a long moment and I wondered if I had severely underestimated how many of these kids had self-confidence issues. But then he forcibly cleared his throat and stuffed the pretzel bag into his pocket. “The tree,” he mumbled, pointing at the oak at the other side of the yard and then ambling towards it.

I laced my fingers with Naruto’s and then tucked my hand around Sasuke’s elbow, following the Akimichi and the Nara that was lazily moving after him. “Thank you for the invitation, Choji-kun.” I released my boys and sat seiza in the grass. “Catch, Nato,” I murmured, tossing a bento box in my brother’s direction. He fumbled with it. I withdrew my own bento box and then glanced at Sasuke, making sure he’d started on his own food before I began to eat.

“Mirai?” Sasuke asked around a mouthful of his lunch. “Do you and the Dobe want to come over after class? We could play Ninja.”

I glanced at him, chewing slowly on my fish. Then I shrugged. “I’ll have to see. I was planning on getting some training in and Shisui and I have been wanting to play another game.”

Naruto pouted. “More shogi?” he whined. “But that’s so _boring,_ dattebayo!”

“It’s not boring,” I defended. “I’ll teach it to you someday when you have the patience, Nato.”

Shikamaru swung his lazy gaze over to me. “You play shogi?”

I nodded once, studying that calculating look in his eye. I had to resist the urge to look away, to stop the feeling that he was dissecting what he knew about me.

“Maybe you won’t be as terrible to be around as I thought at first,” he said, polishing off the last of his food—for someone so slow, he sure ate quickly—and then lying back. The Nara tucked his hands under his head. “We should play sometime.”

I cocked my head at him. _What an odd kid,_ I commented to Kurama.

**You’re one to talk.**

I didn’t suppress the giggle that bubbled between my lips. And then Naruto shot to his feet, pointing dramatically at Shikamaru. “Hey! Rai is never terrible to be around! No matter what! You take that back!”

I sighed. “Nato, relax.”

“But—“

“Finish eating.” I crossed my arms and waited until my brother sat down petulantly and began working on his meal again. Then I glanced towards the brunet who, for all appearances, looked asleep. But his still moving chakra said otherwise. “I would enjoy playing a game at one point. I could bring my board tomorrow.”

He grunted his assent.

I polished off the rest of my food and then withdrew the scroll our sensei had given me. I unrolled it and studied the seal for a moment.

“It’s a storage seal,” Choji explained, not stuttering this time but still sounding uncertain. “I’ll have my dad open mine for me when I get home.”

I glanced up at him and gave him a broad smile. “Don’t worry about it. I can open it for you.” I touched my fingers against the seal and gave just a slight pulse of charka—about as much as I might put into the very beginning of my chakra light. With a small puff of smoke, a tall stack of books appeared, topped off with several folders of paper and a few smaller storage scrolls labeled with titles such as _Training Kunai_ and _Weights._

“Whoa,” Choji breathed. “You can use chakra?”

I saw Naruto gearing up to response but before either of us could answer, Sasuke said, “Yeah. She can do jutsu too!”

Shikamaru popped an eye open and Choji gasped. “Wow! But the Academy just started. Are you going to graduate early, then?”

Graduate early? I cocked my head to the side. _I honestly haven’t thought about that. Honestly, it might be beneficial to—_ But then Naruto’s squeak interrupted me. “E-early? She can do that?” he asked quietly, eyes wide. His baby blue gaze turned to me. “Are you gonna, dattebayo? Would you be leaving early?”

“Leaving?” I sighed heavily. “I’m not leaving, Nato. Don’t worry about that, okay?” I leaned over and tapped his nose. He made a face but then nodded, seemingly relieved. I turned back to the supplies our sensei had given me. I took one of the books and flipped through it.

“Something wrong?”

I glanced up at the familiar voice and a grin cracked my lips. “Izumo!”

The shinobi grinned down at us. “Ohayo, Mirai-chan. How’s my favorite little neighbor?”

Naruto pouted dramatically at that and I giggled. “I’m doing great. Izumo, this is Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji, our new friends. Choji, Shikamaru, this is Kamizuki Izumo.” After just a moment of thought, I added, “He’s a _chunin.”_ I nodded seriously.

“Maa, you’re going to make me blush, Mirai-chan. Besides, I’m not here to socialize.” He leaned down and ruffled Naruto’s hair. “Hokage-sama wants to speak to you.” And then, as if seeing the question forming on my lips, he shook his head. “I’m not sure why. He told me to grab you after you were done eating.” Then he offered me a crooked grin. “Don’t worry, I’ll try have you back before your class starts back up.” He held out his hand.

I rose to my feet but something in me hesitated. I glanced down at Naruto. Whenever I went somewhere without him, he was either in the apartment or left with someone I knew I could trust, like the Uchiha or Genma. “But—“

“Naruto will be fine. We’ll just be in the building. I promise. If you have to leave, I’ll come out here and stay with him. Sound good?”

I dragged my gaze to my brother. “Nato, you’ll be okay?”

When he nodded enthusiastically, I sealed the supplies back up and tucked the scroll into my kunai pouch. Then I packed the bento boxes into my backpack and slung it over one shoulder. I gripped Izumo’s outstretched hand. He smiled and tugged me towards the stairs pressed against the wall of the building. “This shouldn’t take too long, okay?”

I nodded wordlessly, climbing up the stairs after him and staunchly ignoring the feeling of Naruto’s chakra getting farther and farther away. Then we reached the top and Izumo opened the door, ushering me inside with a hand on my back. The door closed behind me and I choked off a cry of alarm as Naruto’s chakra disappeared completely. Then I glanced down one direction of the curving hallway and then the other. “Which?”

“This way.” Izumo turned to the left and started walking. I rushed for a second to catch up with him. Then he stopped in front of the familiar double doors. “I’ll be out here to take you back to your class, okay?”

“Thanks, Izumo.” I smiled up at him and released his hand. Then, as he pushed the door open, I stepped inside. “You wanted to see me, Oyaji?”

The Hokage looked up from the papers he was studying and smiled. “Ah, Mirai-chan, come on in and close the door.”

I stepped further inside and heard Izumo click the door closed behind me. My gaze flicked around the office for a moment before settling on the familiar figure standing behind and to the right of the Hokage. “Tobitake-san,” I greeted, half surprised and half questioning.

“Uzumaki-san,” he said in returning, bowing his head in greeting.

Hiruzen smiled. “Tonbo had told me that your previous meeting went well, but it’s nice to see that you are in fact on friendly terms.”

“Our previous—“ I broke off and licked my lips, suddenly over-aware of how dry they were. “That was on purpose,” I rasped. “Wasn’t it?”

The Hokage sighed and removed his hat, setting it on the desk in front of him. “Mirai-chan, you have an . . . overwhelming amount of potential, accompanied by intelligence and determination that is not common to see in a child. Would you blame me for wanting to train you up as a strong defender of Konoha and its people?”

Resentment, familiar and strong, welled up in my chest and I opened my mouth to tell him as much. But then something stopped me and I paused, considering his words. I might dislike him for it. I might object to yet again having my life controlled by someone or something else. But could I really blame him for doing his job as Hokage and trying to protect his people?

“No,” I murmured. “I wouldn’t blame you.”

His expression softened. “Thank you, child. You see, I have plans for you to train under shinobi of my choosing during your time in the Academy, beginning with thrice weekly sessions with Tonbo.”

“Do I have a choice?” The words spilled out before I could stop them. I wouldn’t exactly going to turn it down. The chance to train with highly skilled shinobi was not something anyone would turn away easily, especially me. But it was just a gut reaction to being told what to do—I’d never been fond of being controlled Before. Reincarnation dictated by the universe just made it worse.

“Are you going to say no?” he asked, lips quirking.

I quickly shook my head. “I’ll do it. Um, so how are we doing to do this?”

The Hokage leaned back, glancing towards Tonbo. The bandaged and blind shinobi cleared his throat and said, “As the Academy ends at four, you’ll be given time for dinner and then will meet me at Training Ground 6 at five thirty. We’ll meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I will inform you when I will be on missions, during which times you’ll continue normal sessions with a different shinobi instructing you in my place. Once my training with you concludes, I will be replaced by a different teacher.”

“What will I be learning?” I glanced uncertainly between Tonbo and the Hokage, not sure which one I was addressing.

Hiruzen smiled. “As I’m sure you know, shinobi specialize in many different areas. Each of your instructors will focus on different skills that they know best or that they see as necessary or beneficial for you to learn. Any other questions?”

“Starting . . . today?”

“Hai. Tonbo would like to assess your skills. He will, of course, take into account what your scores are during your assessments today and he will stay close to watch the tests continue this afternoon. But there are several things he would like to test you on that the Academy will not be looking into at this time. If you would accompany him down to the Academy’s training gym, please.”

“Of course.” I straightened as Tonbo came around the desk and moved towards the door.

“And Mirai-chan?”

“Hai,” —and then my voice caught on my normal form of address for him because suddenly it didn’t seem right— “Hokage-sama?”

He nodded to me and situated his hat back on his head. “I’m sure your parents would have been proud of you.”

I kept his gaze for a moment, wondering at the spark there. Then I finally allowed myself to glance up at the picture of Namikaze Minato that sat on the wall behind him. “Thank you.” I bowed my head and then turned to follow Tonbo from the room.

Izumo glanced up when we stepped out of the room and arched his visible eyebrow. “Tonbo, what are you doing here?”

“The Hokage has decided that it would be most beneficial for Mirai to receive structured training outside of the classroom. I’m her first teacher.” The man’s lips twitched into some semblance of a smile. “He’ll probably ask you to do the same at some point. Uzumaki-san, go ahead and take the stairs to the bottom floor. I will be with you shortly.”

I glanced at him and nodded. While nodding at a blind man normally was a stupid decision, something told me he could tell. Then I offered my neighbor a smile. “Sayonara, Izumo.” Then I skipped past him towards the stair. As I approached the ground floor, Naruto’s chakra appeared and grew stronger. It was still relatively distant, but I could feel my nerves smoothing out as I could feel him close again.

“Can I help you?”

The oddly-pitched voice made me turn and I glanced up at the desk chunin sitting there, wondering how in the world he fought with glasses that thick. “Ohayo. I’m just waiting for my sensei.”

Those eyes—dark and magnified by his glasses—widened and then narrowed. “Uzumaki,” he snarled. “What are you doing here?”

A sigh bubbled up in my chest and I crossed my arms. “I told you. I’m waiting for my sensei. I’ll be out of your hair in a moment.”

He started to rise from his seat. “It would be better if you le—“

“Yajirobee-san.”

I glanced over my shoulder to find Tonbo standing at the bottom of the stairs. Then I stepped back until I stood beside him. He nodded down at me and then turned his bandaged eyes to the desk chunin. “In the future, I would appreciate it if you would leave my student alone.”

The glasses man—Yajirobee, I assumed—paled and sat down. “Student? Um, of course, Tobitake-san.”

Tonbo rest a hand on my should and steered me towards a door at the back of the room. It opened into a hallway and he took the last door on the right. We stepped into the large training gym and I glanced around, shoving my hands in my pockets. “So what are you wanting to test?” I dropped my backpack from my shoulder and set it on the floor.

“We’ll begin with your chakra sensing.” Then he held out a strip of black fabric, vaguely reminiscent of the one I wore around my wrist. It was longer, though, and much thicker. “Put on the blindfold. I will go to some area of the room. Then I will slowly raise my chakra. As soon as you can sense even a hint of it, let me known and I will leave it at that level. Your job will then be to approach me as quickly as you can using only your chakra sensitivity. Understand?”

I blinked at the blindfold and then nodded, tying it on and closing my eyes against the rough fabric. “Got it.” I strained my ears for the sound of him moving, though I wasn’t particularly surprised when I couldn’t hear anything.

“Begin.”

I reached out with my senses, straining to try to find that chilly energy that I had felt when I first met him. It was hard to focus with Naruto’s blazing chakra dominating everything from close by and I struggled to ignore it. I took a deep, hissing breath and forced my muscles to relax. My senses brushed against ice ahead of me and to my left.

“There,” I gasped, shivering.

He said nothing and I turned towards the cold energy. I moved confidently forward and then my knee slammed into something, knocking me sideways for a second. I hissed angrily and then reached out, brushing my fingers against the wooden post. Then I shifted to the side and moved slower, shuffling my feet as quietly as I could and reaching out so I would touch something with my hands before hitting it with my feet.

My fingers brushed against something else and I adjusted my direction accordingly. The chill was growing stronger and closer. Then my hand touched something else, different from the hard wood before.

“Congratulations. Your chakra sensing ability is far advanced for you age. Most chunin would have been hard pressed to sense that. Blindfold off.”

I reached up with my free hand and tugged the cloth away. I blinked at the bright light and then uncurled my fingers from where they were gripping Tonbo’s flak jacket. “That’s . . . good, right?”

“Hai. You’ll be an exceptional chakra sensor in the future. Stand in the center of the room, please. We’re going to test your reaction time and ability.”

I cocked my head at him as I moved to do what he said. “How?”

He withdrew a storage scroll and unseal a heavy bag. “I took the liberty of gathering up some stones before meeting with the Hokage earlier today. I suggest you move quickly, because bruises might get in the way of your other training.” Then he dipped his hand in the bag and withdrew three rocks. I squinted at them. They were smooth and small—not any bigger than my six-year-old fist. “Ready?”

I sank into my stance, eying the stones in his hand. “Hai.”

The first stone flew faster than I realized it could, digging itself into my shoulder. I whipped belatedly to the side, blinking as the rock fell to the ground. “Oh,” I rasped. “Ouch.” Then I glanced up just in time to see Tonbo lift his hand again. The moment he released the rock this time I dropped down into a crouch, listening as it whistled by above my head. Another one came rocketing towards me and I rolled to the side. Pain flared across my forehead as one stone hit me. Pain exploded and something wet slicked itself down my skin, trailing down my nose and leaving red in my vision. I jumped to avoid the next rock aimed at my feet. For the next one I leaned so far to the side that I felt my spine pop. I did an awkward spin and a pattern of complicated footwork to avoid the next few. One rock clipped my ear and another bashed its way into my knee. I struggled to dodge as many as I could. My body may be trained, but it was still the body of a child.

“Good.”

I couldn’t remember exactly when I had started panting or sweating, but I looked up at Tonbo from where I was, collapsed on my knees. His hands and the bag was empty and there was a faint smile playing about his features. “Is that it?” I asked, feeling heat build up in my forehead as my chakra rushed to heal the wound there. When I dragged the heel of my hand across my forehead it came back covered in flakes of dried blood. I wrinkled my nose and then rubbed the rest of my face to get all the crusted blood off.

“Fifty rocks and you managed to dodge about half of them.”

A groan tore at my lips. It felt like I hadn’t managed to dodge any of them and my entire body ached as I pulled myself to my feet. “Wh-what else?” A frown tugged at my lips with the way my voice broke and I cleared my throat forcefully. “What else?”

“That’s all for now. Training Ground 6 at five thirty after the Academy, Uzumaki-san. I will meet you there. You can return to your class now.”

And then he disappeared and the feeling that washed over me was a crisp one, as if ice cubes had gathered in my stomach. I took a shaky breath and then rubbed my hands over my face again, doing my best to clear away any residual blood. _Am I all healed up?_

**As if that tiny cut wasn’t easy to deal with.**

Nodding in satisfaction, I rubbed my face one more time, snatched up my backpack, and then headed outside.I circled a quarter of the building and reached the Academy entrance. My stomach dropped. The yard was empty.

_Did class start already? Shit._

**Language.**

I ignored his snarky chiding and stalked forward into the building. I reached Room 5 and slide aside the door.

“Uzumaki.” And Kami, this man needed to learn how to say my name without snarling. “I’m glad you could grace us with your presence.” The amount of venom in Bekko’s voice was ridiculous. “You’re late. That’s five points.”

I blinked. Before I could say anything, someone squawked indignantly. My gaze snapped to Naruto as he jerked to his feet. “We didn’t even start yet! We all just got inside, dattebayo!”

“Nato,” I soothed quietly, a little surprised my voice carried that well across the classroom. He glanced at me and I shook my head. He snapped his jaw shut and then sat back down. “Bekko-sensei,” —he still flinched when I said that— “the Hokage had asked to speak with me. I was late from meeting with him.”

His beady eyes darkened. “Insubordination. Five points.”

Something boiling started in my chest and I stared at him. But then I grit my teeth and forced out, “Of course, Bekko-sensei.” Then I moved back to my seat in front of the empty seat to Shikamaru’s left. Naruto glanced at me worriedly and I placated him with a gentle smile.

The chunin at the front of the room nodded. “In a moment we will be heading outside to the west Academy training ground. There, you will one-by-one run through the obstacle course set up there. Afterwards, we will run through physical drills to assess your fitness level. Then we will conclude with spars to figure out where you all currently rank in relation to taijutsu skill. You will wait to do anything until I call your name, understand?”

“Hai, Bekko-sensei!” echoed around the room and my voice was drowned out in the cacophony.

“Good. Stand and follow me.”

Sasuke and Naruto were already on their feet by the time I stood. After I stepped out into the aisle, Choji and Shikamaru followed me. “Mirai?”

I glanced back. “Hai, Choji-kun?”

He looked nervous, gaze continually flicking to the side. “Is . . . is your ear okay? You’ve got blood on it.”

I blinked and reached up, dancing my fingers along the flaking blood on my ear. “Oh. Thanks.” I shuffled forward and rubbed it away. “I didn’t notice that I hadn’t gotten it all.”

“There was more?” the boy squeaked out, digging a new bag of chips out from his backpack. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just from training.”

“Uzumaki! Stop distracting your classmates! This is a warning!”

I snapped my gaze back around at Bekko’s sharp voice, tensing my jaw and following the rest of the class to the training area. “I will call your names one by one and you will go through the obstacle course. Abe Kenichi.”

I watched with hooded eyes as the boy shuffled forward, smelling just as sweaty as he had earlier. He wiped his hands on his pants, his palms leaving behind dark spots of sweat. I frowned. Greasy hands wouldn’t do him any good on a course like this. I was proven right as he stumbled and slipped his way through the course with no small amount of trouble or skinned knees.

“Aburame Shino.”

I narrowed my eyes at the boy as he moved forward, determined to focus on what he did well and implement it into my own attempt.

**Human.**

I blinked in distraction for a moment before realizing who had spoken. _Kyuubi. Finally speaking to me, then?_

**What are you going to do about your new . . . training situation?**

_I will simply add it on my other training. There’s no reason not to._

**And today?**

_After training with Tonbo I’ll do some individual training._

**Going forward with our plan?**

_I’ve looked and there are no rules against it. It’s dangerous, but it’s the best location for us to get some semblance of privacy while training. Not many people go there._

**If you get eaten by a mutated tree-crawled I swear I will kill you.**

“Uzumaki!”

I snapped to attention to find everyone staring at my. I focused in on Bekko’s angry face. “Uh, hai?”

“Five points!”

Another blink. “Wait, what?”

“For not paying attention. It’s your turn. Move!”

I straightened. “Right! My apologies, Sensei.” I moved forward to stand in front of the obstacle course. I eyed it for a moment, contemplating how to go about completing it. And then I nodded. _Wish me luck?_

**Screw you.**

With that, I dashed forward up the steep wooden incline. My legs burned and I could feel the momentum failing so I shoved chakra out to my limbs and spread it among my hands and feet. My right food slipped and I gripped the wooden surface tightly with the chakra in my hands. When I dragged myself to the top of the steep fifteen foot triangle, I glanced down. Obviously the intent was for me to slide down the structure and face the next obstacle from the ground, but I frowned at the rope wall and decided I wasn’t particularly interested. I crouched low and dropped my weight for just a second before springing forward.

Someone behind me let out a cry of surprise and I vaguely registered that it was probably Naruto before I hit the top of the rope wall and snatched for a good hold. I pulled myself up the last foot and then jumped. I hit the ground in a roll to soften the fall and then dropped down to my stomach in a commando crawl. I squinted at the barbed wire area for a moment to assess whether I was low enough. And then I moved, careful to keep myself as flat against the ground as possible. Near the end I felt something catch on my pants and I realized that I had risen during my trek. I ducked down again and scrambled out the rest of the way.

Two obstacles left. I rubbed my hands together for a second and then jumped up, gripping the monkey bars and swinging myself forward. _How do you think I’m doing?_

**Terribly.**

_Aw, thanks, Kyuubi-chan._ I grunted as I swung from the last bar and landed on the small platform before the tightrope. I hesitated for just a moment before putting one foot on the rope. It trembled beneath me and I sucked in my next breath, taking a step. I wobbled dangerously and pinwheeled my arms to get my balance back. The off-putting ringing in my ears stopped and I took another step. Then another.

And then the world tilted and my stomach dropped.

An undignified squeak escaped my lips as I fell and I tucked in on myself into a roll as I slammed against the ground. My lungs protested roughly and I heaved a cough as I dragged myself to my feet.

“You’re done, Uzumaki. Get back in line.”

For just a moment I considered insisting on finishing the tightrope.

“Now.”

The sharp edge to his tone made the decision for me and I rejoined the group as Naruto made his way to the front of the course. Childish fingers gripped my hand. “Mirai, are you okay?”

I glanced at the boy next to me and offered up a wide grin. “Of course I am!”

“Oh, okay. You just were . . . not here,” Sasuke said, frowning as if he couldn’t figure out how to phrase what he wanted to say.

“Sorry, I was just a bit distracted.”

“Uzumaki! Five points for distracting your classmates!”

Bekko’s loud voice made Naruto squeak in surprise and tumble down from the opposite side of the rope wall instead of climbing down smoothly like he had intended. I winced as he hit the ground and steeled myself against the urge to run and check him over for bruises. So instead I glanced towards our sensei. That happened to be a mistake because I met his look of intense loathing and instantly regretted it. I took a deep breath, letting my eyes flutter closed. I focused the rest of my time on calming my breaths.

Naruto’s charka moved back close to me and I didn’t open my eyes, just holding out my free hand and feeling him grip it tightly. I keep focusing on my breathing—focusing on keeping my emotions in check.

“We’re going to shift to the east training ground for exercises and spars. Follow me.”

I opened my eyes, holding my boys’ hands and following everyone else as they headed after Bekko. “Rai,” Naruto murmured. “I don’t think he likes you.”

“That’s okay,” I murmured, making sure to keep my voice low. So low that my brother shuffled closer to hear me. “I don’t like him either.”

“Spread out!” Bekko ordered the moment we reached the other training area. “Give yourself room. Even rows, now.”

We all split apart and moved to do as he said.

“Down. We’ll begin with pushups.”

We all dropped down and I straightened, taking a deep breath.

“We’ll do fifty pushups. This is to see who keeps up. One!”

I went down, listening to the grumbles of the students around me. But at least this was familiar and I could almost forget the harsh grating of my sensei’s voice as I lost myself to the exercise’s rhythm. If someone Before had told me that someday I would find working out to be comforting, I would have laughed and promptly put them in a mental institution. But now? I allowed myself a sigh.

“Forty-eight. Forty-nine. Fifty! Relax.”

I took a deep breath and sat back in a seiza glancing side to side at the tired Academy students around me. Even the clan kids seemed worn out from that and I frowned. Surely their parents would have been training them, right?

“Sit-up position! We’ll do fifty. One!”

By the time we finished all six exercise assessments the man had planned, my classmates were groaning and rubbing their sore muscles. I rose to my feet and cocked my head at them. Surely I wasn’t _that_ far ahead of them, was I?

“Fifteen minute break for water and rest. Then we will begin spars.” The chunin stepped aside to wave at the water bottles lined up along the wall of the building.

The class surged forward I found myself shoved into two familiar people. “Sorry, Choji-kun, Shikamaru-kun.”

“It’s fine, Mirai,” Choji said, offering me a giant smile as he selected a water bottle.

“Are you even human?”

I blinked and glanced at the Nara. His face was flushed from the unfamiliar physical exertion and the few wisps of hair that had escaped from his ponytail were plastered against his skin from sweat. “Sorry?” I asked, picking up a water bottle and unscrewing the top. “What do you mean?”

He fought back a yawn and waved a hand to the area where we’d just been working out. “You’re not even tired. Half the class couldn’t even do them all and you just breezed through them.”

A smirk quirked my lips and I took a sip of the water. It wasn’t cold, but at least it wasn’t hot. Then I shrugged. “I train a lot.”

“Mendokuse,” he muttered. “I don’t know why I even care.”

“Rai!” Naruto bounced over to me, energy buzzing as if he hadn’t just been given the workout of his life. “You’re so cool! You did _all of them!”_

I giggled and reached out to bop him on the nose. “Of course I did, Nato. Did you think I wouldn’t?”

He wrinkled his nose in response and then lit up. “Oh, oh, oh!” And then, to Choji and Shikamaru’s immense confusion, he began babbling on about Sasuke and Itachi and having dinner with them that afternoon. Then he took a bunny trail to the side and started talking about how _cool_ Itachi was and how he could definitely have done all of the exercises easy.

I laughed. “Nato, dinner with them sounds great.”

His eyes widened. “Really? Cool, dattebayo!”

“Circle up!” And then, before we had finished doing so, Bekko-sensei continued. “See this circle here?” He pointed at the fresh, chalk-drawn shape. “I will call two names and you will step inside the circle and face each other. You will bow and then, when I say begin, you will spar. The fight lasts until one opponent leaves the circle, is incapacitated, forfeits, or I end the spar at my own discretion. No chakra or jutsu, not that I have to worry about those with your age. Only old-fashioned taijutsu. You will conclude each spar with the seal of reconciliation. Remember, we’re all comrades here. Do you understand?”

“Hai, Sensei!”

He nodded. “Good. Abe Kenichi and Inuzuka Kiba.”

The two boys stepped into the ring, one a shaking and sweaty mess while the other one grinned confidently. At Bekko’s prompting, they bowed to each other. Then they straightened and Kiba settled into a stance I didn’t recognize. I studied it for a moment. That was probably the Inuzuka’s own personal taijutsu, right? Then my gaze flicked to the boy’s opponent and I blinked. The other boy had adopted some sort of unrefined amateur stance with his feet spread too wide apart and his entire body facing directly forward and his fists held too tightly with his thumbs tucked in.

“Hajime!”

It was hands down one of the quickest matches I’d ever seen, and that was counting my dojo experience from Before. Kiba shot forward like a rocket with his hand cocked back. His form was crude and a little too wild, but that didn’t matter because Kenichi let out a squeal of alarm and stumbled back until he tripped out of the arena.

Bekko called the fight and Kiba tumbled to the ground in his attempt to stop his momentum. “Winner: Inuzuka Kiba!”

The clan kid climbed to his feet and bowed dramatically to his audience. Kenichi scrambled up, sniffling. And then, without having to be told, Kiba stepped forward and offered the smaller boy his hand. Kenichi blinked and then nodded, reaching out and curling his fingers around Kiba’s in the seal of reconciliation. The chunin nodded and waved them off. “Good, good.” Then he glanced down at the paper he was holding. He frowned a little. “Next spar!”

My classmates buzzed excitedly at the possibility of their names being called. Naruto bounced on his feet.

“Aburame Shino and Uzumaki Mirai.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Answer: Naruto. Hands down. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a little obsessed with the Naruto World and the idea of chakra and shinobi and the ability to walk on water. I genuinely don’t care how dangerous it is. I want in!  
> Question: What’s a recent fandom that you’ve fallen into?  
> Today’s suggested fanfic: This Transient, Floating World by blackcatgirl. (on FF.net)


	9. Chapter Eight - Excogitate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Excogitate - verb 1: to think out, devise, or invent 2: to study intently and carefully in order to grasp or comprehend fully]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that a few of you were excited to read about the spar between Shino and Mirai, but it just didn’t fit with the chapter. I’m writing it, of course, and it’ll be posted in my Scrapbook fic as a one-shot (eventually). I just couldn’t fit into the main fic without taking up more room than I want too and delaying stuff I’ve been hoping to get to.  
> I’m so sorry about how long it took for me to publish this chapter. I’ve been having major writer’s block when it comes to Samsaric, and university/work didn’t help. Not to mention I’ve gone to the ER like 5 times so far this year, along with a 3-day hospital stay, so my health has delayed stuff too. Anyway! Hopefully I’ll be able to update Samsaric more frequently now! But, uh, no promises. I have a busy life.  
> Please read and review!

By the time Bekko had called for the match to stop, I had already done far too much damage.

“Matte!”

“I’m sorry, Shino-kun! Hold still. Hold still!” I put my hands on his shoulders to stop his pained writhing so that I could get a good look at the injury I’d inflicted. “Oh, Kami. I’m sorry. Alright, don’t move for a—“

“Uzumaki! Move away from your classmate. You’ve done more than enough damage!” Tough, beefy fingers gripped my shoulder hard enough to bruise and threw me back. A yelp tore itself from my throat and I scrambled to my feet. Bekko knelt over Shino as the boy whined, his arm bent at an angle that it really shouldn’t be going. “Shit. Uzumaki! Get your ass inside! This cost you twenty points! You’re to remain inside and you have an hour detention after class is over!”

I stared, my hands jerking so nervously that I had to shove them into my pockets to suffocate the echo of Shino’s arm breaking beneath my fingers. But then Bekko snapped at me again and I nodded, turning and moving inside. Just before the door closed behind me, I heard him yelling for Sasuke to go to the front of the building and ask for help from one of the chunin. The entrance clicked closed behind me and I forced myself to take a shaky breath.

**Good job.**

I twisted my lips at the convoluted mixture of pride and disgust in his voice. _I didn’t mean to. I just . . . didn’t mean to._ I pressed my lips together and swallowed in a poor attempt to regain the ability to breathe properly. _I’ll have to make it up to him. Fuck! I was supposed to become friends with him, not break his bones!_

**Get over yourself. So you managed to damage a pathetic little human. Big deal.**

_Shut up._ I shoved myself off the wall and then made my way back to the classroom. “It’ll probably take a while for them to finish,” I murmured aloud to myself in the empty room as I closed the door. A glance at the clock told me that there was still almost an hour and a half left of the Academy for the day. “Might as well get some personal training in. I think I’m almost ready to start Level 1 fuuinjutsu training.” With that said, I sat at my desk and dug out my sealing scroll. A simple burst of my chakra was all that was needed to unseal my fuuinjutsu supplies across the table. As I began practicing seal quadrants in my notebook, Kurama rumbled with displeasure in the back of my head.

**Wrong.**

I paused, gaze flicking across the work I’d just done. The Kyuubi had a habit of occasionally pointing out mistakes I made when studying seal work. The most of an explanation I had gotten for why a chakra demon knew so much about a human form of written jutsu was that he had been contained by Uzumaki before. And if my clan was known for anything, they were known for fuuinjutsu.

_What is it? What did I do wrong?_

**Check your balancing in the third and fourth quadrants.**

I dragged my gaze over the seal. _I don’t . . . . Oh. I repeated the directional sequence and that would cause a doubling effect and destabilize the seal, right?_

The door opened and chattering flooded the room. “Rai!” Naruto scrambled up the stairs and threw himself against my side. “Are you okay?”

I laughed and curled my arm around him. “Of course I’m okay. It’s Shino I’m worried about.”

“What was that, Mirai?” a smaller voice asked. I glanced up to find Sasuke standing just by our row. “You . . . didn’t seem like you for a second.”

“I got . . . distracted,” I answered, trying to be reassuring and knowing I was failing. “It won’t happen again.” I reached out and ruffled Sasuke’s hair.

“Remind me not to get on your bad side,” Shikamaru mumbled, climbing into his seat.

I glanced back at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—“

“Attention, please!” Bekko called. “Uzumaki, you’ve done enough damage today. Please keep your hands off my students."

I turned back around and met his gaze. **What are you going to do?** the Kyuubi asked, voice echoing in the back of my head. **Show your throat and he’ll bite it. Choose carefully.**

_Show my . . . . Oh._ I swallowed, understanding exactly what Kurama was trying to say. I smiled thinly at our sensei. “Oh, my apologies. I’ll be sure to give you my full attention. After all, I need you to teach me how to be a shinobi, don’t I?”

His expression didn’t change, but it did manage to gain a chillier aura. “I would appreciate it if you would be quiet.”

“I’m sure you would.” I scooted my chair forward and let Sasuke by.

Bekko’s jaw tightened. “I would like everyone to gather up their things. You are dismissed for the day. Uzumaki, stay for your detention.”

Naruto glanced at me. “Rai?”

I smiled and reached down, collecting his things into his bag. “Go with Sasuke-kun, okay? I have some training to do after school. I’ll be there to pick you up no later than nine, alright, sweetheart? I’ll see you later.” I glanced at Sasuke as he joined my brother in the aisle. “You too.” I held Naruto’s bag out for him.

The two of them nodded and scrambled down the stairs. I nodded to Shikamaru and Choji as they passed. Then I turned my attention to the chunin that was moving to stand in front of my desk. As the door closed behind my last classmate he dropped a stack of paper in front of me. “Let me know when you finish all of this, Uzumaki.” Then he moved back towards the front of the room.

I pulled the papers towards me, picked up my pen, and began reading.

Two boats on opposite banks of a river start moving towards each other. They first pass each other 1400 meters from one bank. They each continue to the opposite bank, immediately turn around and start back to the other bank. When they pass each other a second time, they are 600 meters from the other bank. We assume that each boat travels at a constant speed all along the journey. Find the width of the river?

I glanced over the problem again. Of course. No six year old would be able to do it, though maybe that was the point. I looked up at Bekko and he offered me a thin-lipped smile. I smiled in returned and then began sketching out the problem.

* * *

 

“Tonbo-san?” I stopped at the edge of the training ground. “Konichiwa.”

He turned his bandaged head towards me and nodded. “Uzumaki-san. I’m glad to see that you made it. We’ll begin by training your chakra sensitivity.” He tapped his foot against the ground where he was standing in the center of the clearing. “Stand here and put on this blindfold. I will go to another part of the training ground and raise my chakra slowly. As soon as you can, identify where I am. Understand?”

I took the cloth, rubbing my fingers across the rough material. “Got it.” As I tied the blindfold on, I turned my attention to Kurama. _Any tips?_

**Chakra sensing is not an active skill. It’s passive. Relate it more to your meditation than physical exercise. To be a proper sensor, you’ll have to learn to keep a level head, even in battle. Relaxation is the key.**

I wrinkled my nose against the thick blindfold. _Wow. That was . . . actually help—_

“Begin.”

I straightened and furrowed my brow, searching for—

**Fool. Did you not listen to a word I said?**

_Oops._ I let my shoulders relax, though I kept my defensive posture. I took a deep breath and simply was. Something sparked to my left. I whirled towards it, arm coming up to point. It was the familiar chill that I associated with the man. I must have gotten it right because it disappeared and reappeared behind me. Four positions later, the energy source disappeared again. This time, however, I didn’t feel it reappear immediately.

I took a deep breath and blew it out through my nose. Something cold shivered to my left, quieter than before. I pointed.

Sense. Pivot. Point.

Sense. Pivot. Point.

Sense. Pivot. Point.

“Good job. I wasn’t expecting improvement on our test, let alone to this level.”

I reached up and untied my blindfold. “That was good?”

He hummed in response. “Do you meditate often?”

“I do.”

“That would be why, then. Let’s exercise your reflexes.”

I handed the blindfold back and settled into my stance. “So why are reflexes considered something you specialize in?”

He tilted his head to the side. “You will have to react quickly upon sensing chakra. Chakra sensing and lightning reflexes make for an excellent solo shinobi.”

“How so?”

“Think about it.” He began moving away from me again. “For instance, light bombs are a good choice. Blind the enemy. Unlike them, you can fight without sight and take them down before they can see again.”

“Oh.” I nodded. “Makes sense.”

“Good. Begin.”

The air whistled and the first smooth rock snapped against my cheek. I bit down on my exclamation of pain before it could escape. I ducked the next strike.

**Remain level headed in battle. Learn it now so you don’t have to do monotonous re-training later. I thought you could use the reminder since you flesh bags seem so poorly equipped for learning.**

Kurama’s voice made me fumble my next dodge and I hissed through my teeth as pain stung my elbow. He was right, though. _Thanks._

Another deep breath and I rolled to the side to avoid the barrage of an entire handful of stones. My foot slipped awkwardly against the grass and I felt the muscles in my ankle pull. It jerked my head to the side and the air whipped right by my ear as I barely avoided the stone. But when the next rock found its mark, I felt my heart rate jump wildly again.

I stepped backwards and took another deep breath. I needed something to focus on, something to keep my attention from wandering and my anxiety from skyrocketing. I breathed in deeply through my nose, crouching to avoid another hit. The chill of Tonbo’s chakra washed over me like an ice bath and I rolled to the side. My own energy hummed contentedly beneath my skin, soothing my nerves as I dodged yet again.

“Good job,” Tonbo murmured, lowering his hand. “We’re going to do some chakra exercises. The more aware of your own energy you are, the better your sensing abilities will be.” He held up a rock the size of his fist. “You’re going to learn how to pick this up with only your chakra.”

* * *

 

I spat the foul slime from my mouth, coughing. _Gross. What is that? I don’t think that was blood._ I dragging my wrist over my mouth and grimaced at the giant caterpillar lying dead at my feet.

**That’s poison.**

“Wh— Oh, gross! That’s even worse!” I spat again, trying to make sure I didn’t swallow any, as I fumbled for my canteen. I swished water around in my mouth and then spat it out. _I’m not gonna die now, right?_

**You didn’t ingest it and none of it made it to your bloodstream. You’ll be fine. Besides, with me and your Uzumaki genes, you have more of a tolerance for poisons.**

I kicked the creature aside, feeling my shoulders sag with tiredness. I glanced up at the darkening sky past the tree tops. “It’s getting late,” I murmured to myself. Then I readjusted my backpack, cleaned the blood off my kunai by wiping it on my pants, and slipped the weapon back into its pouch. Making it back to the fence was easy, though climbing over the tall structure was a little more tiring than it was when I’d done it over an hour before.

I let my feet take me in the direction I knew was towards the Uchiha Compound. Rubbing my eyes, I yawned. It wasn’t even nine yet and I was already exhausted. The day had really taken a lot out of me. If I had wondered at all if my introverted tendencies had followed me into this life, I didn’t have to wonder any more. Meeting all these new people had drained me more than my hour in Training Ground 44.

Energy began pricking at my skin when I entered the compound, heading straight for the Clan Head’s house. I knocked and waited, suppressing a desperate yawn. The door slid aside and I heard Shisui before I saw him completely.

“Naruto and Sasuke are having mochi. You can come in and— What the hell happened to you?”

I blinked and glanced down at myself. Bruises stained my visible skin, though I knew they would be gone by morning, and blood was smeared across my clothes. I guess I really didn’t look that great. “Uh, nothing much. Just training.”

“Just training,” he echoed back at me. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“I’m not sure. Can I come in?” I shoved my hands in my pockets, smiling up at him. The Uchiha eyed me for a moment before nodding and stepping aside. I stepped in through the doorway and then toed off my shoes. “Do you think we could come up with a time for you to teach me henge?” I asked, following him farther into the house.

“I would suggest now, but you look exhaus—“

“That works!” I interrupted with a grin, bouncing forward as we entered the kitchen. “Konichiwa, Nato, Sasuke-kun.” I knew I should probably wash my hands first, but the mochi looked too good to resist. I leaned over and selected one, popping it into my mouth.

“Hi, Rai!” Naruto greeted. “Teme and I played Ninja and we watched Itachi and Shisui spar and then I helped Teme’s mom make—“

I laughed and leaned over, planting a kiss on Naruto’s forehead. “Hold on, and don’t forget to breathe. You can tell me all about it on our way home, okay?”

He seemed hesitant for a moment but then he nodded, content. I turned to face Shisui expectantly and he sighed, motioning to me as he headed into the main room. Itachi was sitting on the couch reading and he didn’t look up as we entered. “Good evening, Mirai-chan.”

“Good evening,” I greeted in return. Shisui sat down seiza in the middle of the room and I did the same.

“The seals for this jutsu are simple. Dog, boar, and then ram.” He showed me the signs as he said them. “The hardest part of this jutsu is actually in visualization. The signs guide the molding of the chakra, but you have to focus on what they’re molding it into. For example.” He flashed through the hand signs again and chakra seared against my system. “Henge.”

To my left, Itachi had lowered his book and was watching us. I frowned, studying the form Shisui had taken. “Kami, do I really look that beat up right now?” I asked, staring at the battered and bruised redhead he’d shifted into.

“Yes,” Itachi murmured. “You should probably be resting instead of training more.” He glanced a little too sharply at Shisui.

I ignored his last point. “Alright.” I closed my eyes to focus on the form I wanted. Blond hair, bright blue eyes, whisker marked cheeks the same as mine. I slowly formed the hand signs, feeling my boiling chakra drawing together. “Henge.” The molded chakra then just . . . vanished. I opened my eyes, frowning. “Wait, what—“

“That was way too much chakra for that technique,” Shisui said, back to normal. He shook his head and got to his feet. “But Tachi-chan’s right. You need to get some rest. Stop by later this week and I’ll help you out with your bo staff again, okay? I get back from my next mission Wednesday night.”

I sighed, climbing to my feet. “Alright.” I turned towards the kitchen.

“Oh, and Mirai?”

I glanced back.

“Don’t think I don’t want an explanation at one point about that poor Aburame kid, alright?”

I flushed. “Right.” Then I moved forward. “Nato, you ready to go?”

“Yep!” He jumped to his feet, snatching up his backpack, and followed me to the door. As we got out shoes on, he started babbling about their game of Ninja. I took his hand as we went outside and headed down the road. We were about halfway home when he switched to describing Shisui and Itachi’s spar. He stopped mid-description. “Rai?”

“Hmm? What is it, Nato?"

“I think Bekko-sensei hates us, dattebayo. I don’t like him. He’s really mean to you.” His fingers tightened around mine and he frowned. “He’s an ass.”

“Naruto!” I gasped, trying not to laugh. “Don’t use that word.”

“But it’s true!” he protested.

I sighed, grinning. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

* * *

 

“I brought some homemade onigiri if you’d like some,” I offered, holding up the open bento box. “I have konbu and ikura.”

Choji brightened. “Konbu, please.”

I smiled and picked one out, giving it to him. Then I glanced at Sasuke. “Do you want one?”

He shook his head. “Kaasan made me a big breakfast this morning. Thanks.”

I nodded and then turned my attention to the brunet who had finally made it up the stairs. “Konbu or ikura onigiri, Shikamaru-kun?”

The Nara yawned obnoxiously, slipping into his seat. Then he stared at me before dragging his gaze lazily to the bento box. “Ikura.” He said it as if that word alone took too much effort.

I handed him the food. “I brought a shogi board. We can play during lunch.” When he didn’t respond, I took that as agreement and smiled.

“Uzumaki, I would appreciate it if you would stop distracting your classmates.”

I felt my smile thin and I turned in my seat. “My apologies, Bekko-sensei. I’m paying attention, now.” I closed up my bento box and slipped it back into my bag. Then I made a show of folding my hands on the desk and leaning forward in rapt attention. His expression curled into a sneer and he turned away.

“Today we’ll begin unlocking your chakra.”

My hand shot up before I was even really able to think about it. His gaze snapped to me. “Bekko-sensei, I’ve already unlocked my chakra.”

He glanced across the other students and then his sharp stare narrowed in on me. “Then I’m sure you can keep yourself from distracting your classmates while they try to do the same.”

I arched an eyebrow and just offered him a thin smile. Then I crossed my legs and closed my eyes, choosing to work on my henge while he taught. I pinched off a small amount of chakra. _Dog, boar, ram._ Under my breath, I mumbled, “Henge.”

My chakra dissipated and I sighed. Too much. Resting my hands on my thighs, I took a deep breath and selected another small bit of chakra. Then I kept carefully shaving it down more and more. “Henge,” I murmured.

Nothing.

Again.

“Henge.”

Nothing.

Again.

“Henge.”

Nothing.

I grit my teeth and forced myself to relax. I pinched off a tiny amount of chakra in comparison to what I normally would grab. _Dog, boar, ram._ “Henge.” Instead of dissipating, my chakra held and I felt a shift along my skin. I had to suppress the odd shudder that itched along my spine.

“Whoa! Rai, that’s super cool!”

I opened my eyes and glanced down. Then I titled my head to the side, studying the new angle I had of Naruto’s body. “Huh.”

“Uzumaki.”

I glanced up to find Bekko watching me somewhat warily. “Yes, Sensei?” I asked, smiling sweetly and wondering if it looked the same as it did when Naruto smiled. It probably didn’t. Naruto always seemed to beam when he smiled and my own was nowhere near as warm or friendly as his.

“I said do not distract your classmates. Five points.”

With a sigh, I released the jutsu. That part was easy, since my hold had been slipping since the moment I’d started the technique. I pressed my lips together and glanced out the window. “Would I be allowed to work on my fuuinjutsu?”

“Distracting.”

“What can I do, then?”

“Sit there and be quiet so as not to impede the learning of your peers.” Then he returned to his lecture about the chakra pathways.

I bit my lip and Kurama sighed in the back of my mind. **Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably stupid and reckless.**

_You’d be for it, then?_

**Of course.**

I reached down and double checked that all my things were in my bag. Then I got to my feet and tapped Naruto’s shoulder to get him to move forward. “Right,” I said with a sigh, slinging my bag over my shoulder and pushing in my chair. “I’ll be back later, then.” I started down the stairs.

“Where do you think you’re going, Uzumaki?”

“Out. You obviously don’t want me to do anything but stagnate, so I’m going to find something productive to do with my time.” I reached the door and turned to face him. “Take as many points away as you want. That’s obviously what you were trying to do anyway.” I slid open the door and then left it open behind me as I moved down the hall.

I had to grit my teeth as I left the building and felt Naruto’s chakra getting more and more distant. When his energy disappeared completely, I took a deep breath and focused on relaxing the tension from my shoulders as I turned towards my destination.

The guards looked up as I approached and the one on the left said, “Name and business.”

“Uzumaki Mirai.” I bowed respectfully. “I’m here to check in on Shino-kun’s health. I’m one of his classmates.”

The man stared at me for a moment and I wondered if all Aburame wore shades to hide their eyes from the rest of the world. But then he stepped forward and pushed open the gate for me. “Straight in. It’s the large house right ahead.”

“Thank you.” I stepped through the gates and glanced around the compound for a moment as I approached the front house. I jogged up the steps and then knocked politely on the doorframe.

After a few seconds, the door slide open and I found myself staring up at the man that could only be Shino’s father. “Can I help you?” the man asked flatly.

“I’m Uzumaki Mirai.” I bowed, hoping that maybe I wouldn’t see the disgust or disappointment that probably crossed his face. “I was wondering if I could check on Shino-kun’s health. And apologize for the accident yesterday.” When I straightened, I found that the man was watching me with something that might be able to be construed as amusement, but it was hard to tell past his sunglasses.

“Aburame Shibi,” he said in return, bowing his head. “And of course. Come inside.”

I stepped over the threshold and toed off my shoes, leaving them respectfully by the door. Then I followed the man down the hall and he stopped by another door. Shibi knocked. “Shino, you have a visitor.” Then he slid the door open and stepped aside. “Tea, Uzumaki-san?”

I looked up. “That would be nice. Arigato.” Then I stepped through the doorway into Shino’s room. “Konichiwa, Shino-kun.”

The boy looked up at him from his spot reclining in his bed. “Uzumaki-san,” he greeted. “This is a surprise.”

“Not a terrible one, I hope,” I said moving forward. I paused in the middle of the room and then bowed at the waist. “I’d like to apologize for yesterday and the injury that my reckless fighting caused you.”

“It’s . . . fine,” he said awkwardly. And though I couldn’t see his eyes because of his glasses, he tilted his head down to stare at his cast. “It’s a problem. But you fight well. If you promise not to break my arm a second time, then we should spar again once I’m better.”

A smile curled my lips at that. “Sounds like a plan. Oh! I, uh, brought you something.” I slung off my backpack and dug through it for a moment. Then I withdrew the wooden bento box and set it on his bed. “I made you melonpan.”

Shino shifted, awkwardly pushing himself up with one arm. Then he reached out and opened the box. “Arigato.”

“They’re unlocking chakra in class today. Thought you’d probably want to know that.”

Shino glanced up at me and, around a mouthful of melonpan, said, “Shouldn’t you be at the Academy?”

“I’ve already unlocked my chakra, so this was more important. How long do you have to wear the cast?”

“Two weeks. I was told that I can return to the Academy tomorrow, however.” He nodded to the chair in front of his desk. “You can take a seat.”

I nudged my backpack aside and pulled the chair near the bed. “Do you like shogi?”

He just nodded.

“Do you want to play?”

Another nod.

I grinned and then dug my shogi board out of my backpack. “Great!”

* * *

 

“Any particular reason for why you’re not at the Academy, Mirai-chan?”

I jumped in surprise, whipping around with a squeak. “Tachi-chan!”

He sighed at the name. “Well?”

I shoved my hands in my pockets. “People were unlocking chakra today and our sensei wouldn’t let me practice anything else. So instead I visited Shino-kun to apologize and make sure he was okay.”

“Was he?”

“Hai. We played shogi.” Then I smiled smugly. “I won.” I glanced in the direction of the Tower. “I’m gonna head back and wait in the yard until lunch break.”

“Which is in an hour,” he pointed out. “How does Ichiraku sound?”

“Really?” I squinted at him. “Are you paying?”

“I suppose.”

“Great! Then let’s go!” I grabbed ahold of his sleeve and started skipping in the opposite direction. 

Itachi sighed and turned his arm so he was gripping my wrist. “Hold on,” he murmured.

Roaring chakra charged through my veins and the world around me dashed by. I caught my breath when we stopped, ignoring the boiling beneath my skin. “Whoa. I don’t think I liked that very much.” I pressed my hand against my twisting stomach and followed him to the bar. As I hopped up on a stool, Itachi cleared his throat.

“I want to help you.”

I glanced at him. “What?”

Teuchi looked towards us. “Your regular, Mirai-chan?”

“Hai. Please.”

“One vegetable ramen,” Itachi requested. When Teuchi nodded and turned away, Itachi turned to me again. “I’ve already agreed to help you with your taijutsu. But I’d like to help you with other things.”

“Other things?”

“Shinobi are not made solely from fighting. They are body and mind as a whole.”

I straightened. “Why? Why do you want to help me?”

“I talked to Shisui and he told me the reasoning you gave him to convince him to teach you.”

“Oh.” I cleared my throat. “Alright, then. I’d love for you to help me with that. How are you planning to do that?”

He reached into his kunai pouch and pulled out a scroll. “Here.”

I took it and unrolled it. Then I blinked, staring at the writing inside. “Wow. Uh, I’m not planning on being a politician, you know.”

“I know. But believe me when I say that political knowledge goes a long way. You’ll have to be able to pack a physical punch, but you also need to know how to manipulate and deceive.”

I nodded and rolled up the scroll. “Got it. Thank you.” I licked my lips as Teuchi set five bowls of fresh ramen in front of me. “Itadakimasu!” I dug in. I’d finished three bowls by the time Itachi sat back, setting his chopsticks across his empty bowl. “So you’re just gonna give me scrolls?”

“Hardly, Mirai-chan. But this is a good place to start, I think. And if you come over after the Academy, then I can help you more with your taijutsu.”

I wrinkled my nose, pulling my fifth bowl closer. “It’d be later than right after the Academy. I probably got detention again. Which is fine, I guess. Bekko-sensei seemed determined to give it to me no matter what.”

Itachi frowned minutely. “Are you having issues with your sensei?”

“Nothing I can’t handle. For now, at least.” I finished my last bowl and set my chopsticks across the top. “We’ll see how long it takes my patience to run out.” I began digging out my wallet.

“Just be sure not to do anything impulsive,” he told me, putting out a hand to stop me. Then he withdrew his own ryo and set them on the counter. “Arigato, Teuchi-san. If this would work better, we could do some taijutsu work now at the Academy while you continue to avoid your sensei.”

I hopped down from the seat with a grin. “That’d be perfect.” I tucked my hands into my pockets, ignoring the looks thrown my way as I followed him out onto the street. “I figured henge out.”

“So soon?” He didn’t sound surprised.

“Well, I only got it once. Haven’t tried it again. And I wasn’t able to hold it very long. But since it’s an actual transformation, not an illusion, it doesn’t require a level of chakra control that’s beyond me yet.”

“So you haven’t figured it out. You haven’t mastered a technique until it’s perfect every time.” He produced some dango from out of nowhere and offered some of it to me. “How is your water-walking?”

I stared at the dango for a long moment before taking it. Where’d he been keeping that? After murmuring my thanks, I said, “Getting better, but it’s difficult. I definitely understand the concept, but it’s not constant like tree-walking. It requires . . . .” I frowned, not really sure what the word I was looking for was.

“Flexibility?” Itachi offered up, putting a hand on my shoulder. And then before I could respond, the world around us bent as we shunshined. The earth slammed to a stop under me and I stumbled, lungs trying to crawl up my throat. He didn’t sound particularly apologetic when he said, “Sorry.”

I managed a weak glare. “A warning is always nice,” I rasped out. Kurama snorted in amusement and I made a face at the sound. Upon realizing that Itachi was watching me in amusement, I straightened and cleared my throat. Turning and leading the way into the front yard of the Academy, I said, “So, where should we start?” I dropped my bag to the ground and stepped away from it.

“Show me your stance again.”

I settled into my stance, adjusting according to what he had told me last time. I looked up at him to find him frowning. “Is . . . something wrong?”

“No, not at all.” He moved forward and began gently nudging my hands and feet to slightly adjust my positioning. As he did so, it began to feel a bit more natural and easier to rest into. “Where did you learn this stance, Mirai?”

“Here and there.” I couldn’t exactly say I learned it in a past life. “I’ve seen a lot of the ANBU spar, so I guess I pulled a lot of things from them. Why?”

“There are elements to it that I haven’t seen before. It’s a strong stance, just . . . unfamiliar.” He put a hand on my back to have me straighten a bit. “How’s that feel?”

“Huh. Better, actually. How’d you do that?”

“Your stance was good, but kept you too tense. Slight adjustments—mostly in your knees and hips—allow for a more even distribution of your weight so that you won’t tire from it. Relax out of it.”

I straightened out of the stance, focusing partially on the warm glow of Naruto’s chakra off to my right. I let that familiar feeling wash over me and then honed my attention back in on Itachi.

“Now, enter the stance again.”

“Again?”

“The stance is useless if you need me to adjust it ever time. You need to be able to remember the changes I’ve made and keep those adjustments yourself.”

“Right.” It was difficult to remember everything he’d done, and though the stance I settled into felt familiar, parts of it still felt wrong. Itachi moved forward and tapped my right elbow a bit closer to better protect my midsection. Then he shifted my knees back a little so they were over my feet. After a couple more adjustments, he stepped back. I looked down at myself to try to remember everything he’d done.

“And relax,” he ordered. When I’d done so, he said, “Again.” He paced around me, adjusting a couple things. “Better. Relax. Again. Good. Elbow in. Relax. Again. Keep your shoulders loose. Relax. Again.”

Naruto’s chakra, and the energy surrounding his, began to stir excitedly. As I relaxed out of the stance again at his direction, I said, “I think it’s lunch break.”

“Ah. I should probably go before Sasuke sees me and insists on leaving school.” Itachi smiled faintly and bowed his head. “You have a lot of potential, Mirai-chan. I can see why you’re so desperate to learn.”

“Thank you for your help, Tachi-chan.”

He sighed. “You’re insufferable.” Then he disappeared in a shunshin.

My chakra coils flinched back at the sudden rush of energy. I turned towards the tree I’d sat at the day before and sat down, pulling out Naruto’s bento box. I had that and the shogi board out when I heard him.

“Rai!”

“Nato! Come eat your food.” I managed to pull up a smile for the people accompanying him. “I brought my shogi board. As promised. Up for a game?”

Shikamaru didn’t answer immediately, but he did sit down across from me and immediately move a knight. Then he pulled out his bento. “Where did you go?” he asked.

“I went to visit Shino-kun. We played shogi. He’s very good.”

“Was he okay?” Choji asked worriedly. “It looked like it hurt.”

“He said he’ll be back tomorrow. And he looked like he was in a good mood.” I shrugged. “So yeah, I think he’s okay.”

The five of us fell into a comfortable silence, with even Naruto quiet as he devoured his food. It was only broken once when Choji shyly asked if he could have some more of the onigiri from earlier, to which I was happy to comply. My game with Shikamaru was close and for a moment it looked like he was going to win. Until.

“Uzumaki!”

Shikamaru jumped in alarm, sending his bishop flying off the board instead of moving to where he wanted it. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“That’s fine.” I picked up the piece and handed it back to him, glancing towards the front door of the Academy. Bekko stood there, arms crossed as he glowered. “I’ll be back, Nato.” With a ruffle of his hair, I turned and headed for the Academy door. “Hai, Bekko-sensei?”

He frowned down at me, arms crossed tightly on his chest. “We’re going to speak with the Hokage.”

That . . . was not what I had expected. “Sorry?”

“You have been disrespectful, disorderly, and disruptive. I simply cannot have you threatening the learning of more deserving students. Come with me.” That said, he turned and started up the stairs, leaving hot ash over my skin.

In alarm, I realized that hot ash was his chakra. And that I was feeling his chakra twist and writhe angrily, defenses around it dropped by his emotions. Well, if this was a battle he thought he would win, then he was sorely mistaken. I jogged after him, my steps a little lighter than they had been before. Naruto’s chakra disappeared when we entered the building—it hurt less than it had the day before—and Bekko marched right up to the desk outside the Hokage’s office. “I would like to speak to the Hokage, please.”

The chunin at the desk looked up. Her gaze flicked to me for just a moment before she nodded. “Hokage-sama is in a meeting at the moment. You can speak with him after he’s done.” She returned to her paperwork.

As we moved to wait, I mused, “You know, the Hokage won’t side with you.”

He didn’t look at me, but when I relaxed I could feel the way his chakra twitched at my words.

“We have an understanding, now. So it really would be better if you didn’t even try.”

The chunin at the desk got up with a stack of paperwork and moved to the door. She knocked. After a moment, the old man’s familiar voice called, “Enter.”

She pushed her way inside and I could hear her—both her voice and chakra—as she said, “Here’s the report you asked for, Hokage-sama. And Korudo-san and Uzumaki-chan are here to see you.”

“Are they, now? Go ahead and send them in.”

I straightened. When the chunin stepped out, she waved us inside. “Go ahead,” she murmured. “He’s meeting with Mitarashi-san at the moment, but has said you can speak with him now.”

Bekko led the way, nodding slightly to the chunin as he passed her. I paced evenly after him, listening curiously to the faint whispers of a new chakra I hadn’t ever heard before. When I stepped into the office, I found myself staring at a purple-haired kunoichi that was chewing on a dango stick.

Oh.

Anko.

She squinted at me and seemed to be getting ready to say something but was easily interrupted before she even began.

“Ah, Bekko-san,” Hiruzen said, smiling as the door closed. “Is there a problem?”

“Hokage-sama, I cannot teach this child. She’s is a disruption in the classroom and today even had the audacity to leave the Academy in the middle of a lecture about—“

“Hokage-sama,” I interrupted easily, hands folded behind my back. “Could I share my perspective?”

  He glanced towards me and I felt Bekko’s chakra seethe. Could no one else hear that? The Hokage nodded. “Very well. What is it you have to say about the situation, Mirai-chan?”

“Bekko-sensei is presumably a very accomplished teacher, I would think it best to move him to a class that doesn’t contain myself or my brother, considering the bias he seems to have against us. And I would, of course, hate for that bias to affect my progress as a shinobi.”

Bekko’s chakra choked and Anko’s own distant energy uncurled in curiosity. The Hokage frowned. “Bias, Mirai-chan?”

“Hai.” I smiled cooly and let my gaze flick momentarily to my father’s portrait. “Bias.”

“I see.” The Hokage cleared his throat and pulled out his pipe. “Hmm. Bekko-san, I’d like you to return to your class. Send Naruto-kun up here, along with his and Mirai-chan’s belongings, please. Anko, if you could go downstairs, I believe Kakashi is waiting to meet with me to receive a mission. Bring him up here, please.”

“Hai, Hokage-sama,” Bekko said. He threw a sharp look in my direction before turning and leaving, his angry energy leaving with him.

Anko shrugged and flicked away the dango skewer. It bounced off the wall and landed in the trashcan. “Sure thing.”

When the door closed behind her, subtle chakra flared around the walls of the room. “How did you find out?” the Hokage asked curiously. He didn’t seem surprised, or even worried. Just interested.

Without an invitation, I strolled over to the couch that sat under the window and took a seat. “The seal appears when I mold chakra.” I cut my gaze to him. “This doesn’t change anything. I still get to train but I still get to stay with Naruto.”

He smiled, but with his eyes shadowed beneath his Kage hat I couldn’t quite tell if it was genuine. “Of course. How was your first session with Tonbo?”

“Helpful.” I listened to the way the chakra in the walls dissipated. “I’m already sensing better.”

“And as I understand it, you’ve already gathered some teachers of your own, have you not? Shisui-kun and Itachi-kun seem very fond of you, and I hear that you managed to drag Yanagikage in via a bet.”

“Hmm,” I responded disinterestedly, habitually tracing out the patterns of storage seal on the couch cushion. Distantly, I felt Naruto’s chakra spark against my senses as it reappeared. “Are you going to replace Bekko-sensei?”

“I will see what I can do. There is a very promising young chunin that could replace him, but I’m not sure. I wasn’t planning on making him an independent sensei so soon.”

The door opened. “You asked for me, Hokage-sama?”

My chakra lifted happily and I bounced up from the couch. “Niisan!”

“Pup?” The bewilderment was palpable in his voice and he caught me easily when I threw myself at him in a hug. With one hand resting on the top of my head, he asked, “Is something wrong, Hokage-sama?”

“Just having some issues with the twins’ sensei, that’s all,” Hiruzen said easily. “Naruto will be joining us shortly and neither will be returning to class today. Now, I have some things I would like to discuss with Mirai-chan, so I would be pleased if you could entertain Naruto-kun in the meantime. And possibly review with him the things he’ll be missing from class today? I believe they’re going over the basics of both chakra theory and the Academy taijutsu stance as well as beginning basic conditioning.”

When I looked up, Kakashi was staring at the Hokage. When he just continued to stare, I cleared my throat to prompt him. He glanced at me and then back up. “You want me to . . . teach him?”

“Just for today. I’ll delay your mission, of course. But it would be helpful while I go over some things with Mirai-chan. Could you do that?”

“Um.” He straightened and his hand dropped from my head. “Of course, Hokage-sama.”

The door opened. “Jiji?”

“Ah, Naruto-kun! Come in, come in.”

I grinned at my brother, taking my bag from him and noting it was a little heavier than before. I shouldn’t have expected anything else, of course. He wouldn’t have been able to seal the shogi board and bento boxes back into their scrolls. “Nato, do you think you could hang out with Nissan while I talk to the Hokage?”

He blinked and then looked up at Kakashi. “Wait, but what about school?”

“I’ll go over today’s lesson with you,” Kakashi said, though he paused hesitantly over every word. He put a hand on Naruto’s shoulder. “We should go.”

“Send Anko back in, please,” Hiruzen said. As they left, he gestured to the floor in front of his desk. “I’d like to have a conversation, Mirai-chan. In fact, Mitarashi-san and I were just discussing you and your desire to progress.”

I stepped forward and stopped in front of the desk. “Oh?”

“Hai. Mitarashi-san is one of the few within Konoha’s walls that is proficient in the first few levels of fuuinjutsu. You are interested in that subject, are you not?” He pulled his ashtray across the desk and emptied his pipe into it. Then, with a sigh, he took off his hat and set it aside. “Ah, Anko. Come in, come in.”

I stepped aside so she could stand beside me. When the door closed, I felt that same faint echo of the chakra in the walls. With a frowned, I looked up at her. “You’re willing to teach me?”

She shrugged, already chewing on another empty dango skewer. “Meh, the Hokage promised me that we could have our sessions in a dango shop and that all expenses while we’re there will be comped by the Village. So I couldn’t possibly lose anything by doing this, right?” She frowned deeply and the skewer splintered between her teeth. “Right?”

Shrugging, I said, “Well, I have read that it’s pretty common for beginners in the art of fuuinjutsu to explode seals. But loss of life is negligible in the pursuit of being badass, right?”

She spat out the splinters and then turned a wide, manic grin on me. “Oh, I’m going to enjoy this.”

* * *

 

“Ohayo, Tachi-chan. Can I come in?”

“Mirai-chan. We are just about to start dinner. Would you like to join us?” He stepped aside and let me in.

I waited until I toed off my shoes to respond. “I would, thank you. Is it just you, again?”

“Hai. Tousama is on a mission and Kaasan is working a shift at the hospital. So hai. I hope my own cooking is to your approval.” He waved me forward. “When Hatake-san was waiting for me with Naruto-kun at the Academy, he told me that you were having lessons with Mitarashi-san.”

“Hai. Hokage-sama thought it would be good for my fuuinjutsu studies.” I stepped into the dining area and stopped by Naruto. “How was your day, Nato?” I pressed a kiss against his temple and moved to sit next to him. As he began to happily rant about his day, Itachi dished out a plate for me. Eventually, Naruto followed a rabbit-trail into excited ramblings about his race to the compound with Sasuke. When he claimed he won, Sasuke immediately countered that and the two devolved into an argument. With a sigh, I turned to Itachi.

“Anko is really smart,” I admitted. “But I think I might get fat if I actually eat as much dango as she’s offering me, no matter how much I train.”

“Nonsense. If she’s offering you too much dango, pack it up and bring it to me.” He said it flatly, in the same tone he’d used to invite me inside or tell me that his parents were out. But when I squinted at him, his lips curled just a touch.

“I’ll be sure to.”

The moment dinner was finished, Naruto and Sasuke dragged us outside just in time for them to tumbled to the dirt and start wrestling. With a mild, contented sigh, Itachi sat down on the steps and closed his eyes. When I sat next to him, I could hear his chakra fall into a steady hum. “Tachi-chan?”

His chakra flickered. “Hai?” He opened his eyes and glanced towards me. Something must have showed in my expression, because he said, “I’m meditating. Would you like to join me?”

“Ah.” I sat down and let my hands fall loosely into my lap. I closed my eyes.

When I opened them, I was staring at familiar red fur behind grey bars. “Ohayo, Kyuubi.”

**“Brat,”** he mumbled, not even budging from his nap. **“Leave me alone.”**

“Touchy,” I muttered. “Fine. I’ll just go . . . .” I turned towards the doorway that led to the rest of my mindscape, only to hesitate. Except for my first time arriving in my mind, I’d never left this one room. “Explore,” I finished oddly.

Silence greeted me outside Kurama’s room, the lack of sound echoing up and down the empty ANBU hallway. The whispers above my head were quieter than they had been last time, more echoes than distractions. I pressed my hand against the smooth, grey wall. “Left,” I asked myself, “or right?” The decision was made for me when I saw the open door down to my right, the flickering warm light spilling out standing in stark contrast to the passive cool tones in the rest of my mind. I turned and moved towards the door, fingers trailing along the wall. Was that the Record Room? I stepped into the doorway.

The room in front of me was a disaster.

Scattered books and scrolls layered the floor, as if throw out by a tornado. Or maybe Naruto and Sasuke on a bad day. Some loose pages filled the empty gaps in the catastrophe. This was my mind? But just what part of it?

When I moved forward, my foot bumped against something and I looked down to find a scroll half unraveled on the floor. I stooped down and picked it up. When I unrolled it farther, the world spun and my stomach twisted.

“The Hokage is busy.”

When had I gone to the Tower? Without moving, I heard myself say, “But we really need to talk to him. It’s important!”

The desk chunin in front of me looked both annoyed and unconcerned. “He’s in a very important meeting. You can’t speak to him right now.”

“Later?” I heard myself ask again.

“He’s preparing for a journey to Suna tomorrow, so you won’t be able to speak to him until he comes back.”

With a gasp and a desperate wrench of my hands, I closed the scroll and the world tilted for just a moment before returning me to the disastrous ANBU Records Room within my own mind.

Well, then.

This was going to take a little work.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Answer: Believe it or not, I completely fell for a kids’ cartoon. Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. I was absolutely not expecting to get sucked into this show so easily, but the plot is surprisingly entertaining. Plus, it’s tiny gods who turn French teenagers into superheroes in order to fight regular citizens who have been corrupted by demon butterflies! What’s not to like about that? Admittedly, the fandom and its fics/comics/etc. are what really make the show.
> 
> Question: What’s a fandom you’re always suggesting to people?
> 
> Today’s suggested fanfic: How to Obtain a Reverse Harem in Naruto by Darkpetal16 on FF.net.


	10. Chapter Nine - Igneous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Igneous—adj. 1: of, relating to, or characteristic of fire 2: as in geology, produced under conditions involving intense heat, as rocks of volcanic origin or rocks crystallized from molten magma]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve had a few comments about dropping plot points (the library, mindscape training, etc.) and I’d like to address that. As you might have noticed, each of these chapters is around 10k words long. It’s practically impossible for me to include everything she does on a daily basis without the chapters becoming 40k+. Not to mention that constantly reading about the same rote training tasks would become boring for you. Also, I’ve gotten comments about her having too many sensei; as a Kyuubi jinchuuriki, Mirai has lots and lots of people interested in her, which prompts them to want to help her. Kakashi has that familial connect through his sensei that drives him. Tonbo, Anko, and the others the Hokage will be pulling in are helping because they’re told to do so by the Hokage, who wants Mirai to fulfill her potential as a shinobi and jinchuuriki. The desk chunin (Saisu) has warmed up to Mirai and found a fond spot for her, which pushed his genin teammates to also want to help her. As for Itachi and Shisui, she reminds them of themselves as child prodigies. That tied with the friendship she’s developed with both pushes them. So I’m sorry if her numerous sensei come across as unbelievable because I’ve put thought into it. As for Kokage disappearing, he made it clear he can’t help her until she better overcomes her chakra sensitivity.

“Konichiwa, students. My name is Umino Iruka and I’ll be replacing Bekko-san.” The man smiled kindly at us, though I couldn’t help but notice the way he fidgeted with the folder in his hands. Nervous? I couldn’t say I blamed him. He looked only sixteen? Seventeen? This was who Hiruzen must have meant when he talking about the person he hadn’t meant to make an independent sensei yet. Which would explain— “This is Hisayoshi Mizuki, my assistant who will be helping me in this class. You’ll refer to us as Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei respectively.”

The white-haired man next to him just smiled, hands folded behind his back. I leaned forward a little, trying to listen to his chakra. But it was impossible for me to focus with the noise of all the students in the room.

A hand shot into the air. “Iruka-sensei!”

Iruka glanced towards the student and hesitated for a moment, as if trying to remember something. But then his expression softened into a smile again. “Hai, Ino?”

“What happened to Bekko-sensei?” she asked, bouncing in her chair. “Is he sick?”

“He’s been moved to a different class, that’s all.”

Ino’s hand shot up again. “Iruka-sensei!”

“Hai, Ino?”

“Why was he moved to a different class? Did he not like us?”

Iruka hesitated and his gaze flicked to me for a moment. Then he shook his head. “It’s a long story. Perhaps it would be better to focus on our lesson now. Let’s continue yesterday’s steps in unlocking chakra.” He looked down at his notes and cleared his throat before looking up. “Mirai?” His gaze met mine. It was a little distant and wary, but it didn’t have any of the loathing Bekko’s had had. “I was informed that you could review and practice what you studied with Mitarashi-san, as you have already unlocked your chakra. So go ahead and do that.”

I blinked and then felt a grin touch my face. “Arigato, Iruka-sensei.”

**Finally. A flesh bag that won’t get in our way.**

_Be nice, Kyuubi._ I dug in my bag and came up with my fuuinjutsu scroll. It was relatively easy to tune Iruka out as he lectured and focus instead on my seals. With Anko’s help, I was confident that I’d be able to trust myself to test one of my storage seals soon.

“Mirai.”

I looked up at my name being called to find Iruka glanced towards me. As I straightened, I asked, “Yes?”

“We’re about to head outside for some physical training. Now would be a good time to pack your things away. Once we’re outside, Mizuki-sensei will lead you in learning the basics of the Academy stance.”

Rustling filled the room as everyone packed their things away. Naruto bounced up to his feet with a laugh. “C’mon, Rai! You’re so slow!”

“Remind me to work on your patience,” I said, letting Naruto and Sasuke past me before climbing to my feet. The class shuffled after Mizuki as he led the way outside but I slowed my pace so that I was last in the group just as Iruka followed behind. “Iruka-sensei?”

He glanced down at me and attempted an odd sort of smile. “Yes, Mirai?”

“I’m working with Uchiha Itachi to help create my own taijutsu stance and style. Would it be possible for me to practice that instead and get pointers on it?” I folded my hands behind my back.

He considered it for a moment, gaze flicking across the students almost as if he was taking a mental tally in the time it took him to answer. Then he nodded. “That would work. Stay at the back of the group so you don’t distract or confuse the others. I’ll stop by when I can to help.”

“Arigato, Sensei!” I hurried up to take my spot behind everyone else. As Iruka put everyone in even rows and began speaking, I settled into my stance.

Something didn’t feel quite right. I glanced down and adjusted to make sure my knees were properly over my feet. After adjusting, I made sure my elbows were angled right. Then I relaxed from my stance. I lost myself in the rhythm of entering my stance, adjusting my stance, relaxing, and repeating.

“Let me see.”

I jumped and looked up to find Iruka in front of me. He had that same vaguely concerned look on his face, but was waiting expectantly. I entered my stance again, a bit slower than before to make sure I got everything right. Iruka murmured something to himself and circled me. Then he tapped between my shoulder blades. “Don’t round out your back. It will just tire you faster and cause those muscles to be sore.”

I pulled my shoulder blades back to straighten myself out. “Okay. Thank you.”

“It looks like Kiba is having trouble. I’ll be back.” He hurried away.

**A surprisingly useful creature.**

_He seems nice. I don’t think he particularly likes me, but I don’t think he exactly dislikes me either._

That’s how the next hour went—I would practice my stance, with Iruka coming over occasionally to correct something, give tips, or answer questions. And finally—

“Lunch!”

I could hear Naruto over everyone else as he squealed and dashed inside first to get his food. I laughed and started after the rest of the class. I had just reached the doors when Naruto barreled into me. He grinned from his spot sitting on my legs and hoisted my bag aloft. “I got our food!”

“That’s great, Nato. Can I have my legs back?”

He laughed loudly and climbed off of me. “Sasuke! I’ll race ya!” Then he took off towards the tree.

“Do you need help?”

I looked up to find Shino in front of me, offering me his good hand. “That would be great.” I gripped his hand and pulled myself up. “Glad to see you’re back.”

He nodded once. “Taijutsu stances were a little difficult.”

“I can imagine.” I glanced towards the tree where Shikamaru, Choji, Sasuke, and Naruto had already dug into their food. “Do you want to eat with us?”

Shino took a moment to consider it, tilting his head up to study the sky in such a way that the blue reflected off his sunglasses. “I suppose. On one condition.”

“Oh?”

“Hai. On the behalf of the Aburame Clan, my father—as clan head—and I—as clan heir—would like to invite you to dinner Friday.”

“Me . . . and Naruto?” I asked hesitantly, not sure how far the invitation extended.

Shino’s lips quirked in an odd way. “I hardly imagine that he would enjoy or even be able to suffer through such a thing. I thought I was being prudent and kind in my lack of inclusion. But if you think he would enjoy it . . . .” He drifted off.

“Oh, no, it’s fine.” I made sure to smile widely to show my sincerity. “Of course, then. That sounds great.”

“In that case, I would quite enjoy having lunch with your group.” With that, he turned and started for the tree.

**What about the Uchiha? You were going to speak to him Friday night.**

I followed after Shino with a frown. _I could push it to Saturday._

**You keep delaying this.**

_I know_. I sighed and sat down, taking my bento from my bag. _Tonight. He’s coming back from his mission. I need to talk to him._

* * *

 

“Is Naruto coming with us again, Mirai?” Itachi asked curiously.

I hesitated and nodded, folding my hands behind my back. “Actually, I have a bit more of an . . . extensive request.”

“Oh?” He arched an eyebrow. “How so?”

“Could Naruto stay the night? I have something I need to take care of and I don’t want to have to be worrying about him.”

Itachi glanced towards where Naruto and Sasuke were chasing each other around the Academy yard. Then he nodded. “My parents are both on a mission, so the decision is left to me. His things?”

“I’ll drop them off.” I cleared my throat. “Can you tell me where Shisui lives?”

“Shisui?”

“Hai.”

He sighed. “I suppose. He’s supposed to get back from his mission around seven, though he’ll have to debrief with the Hokage. Two streets east from mine. 207.”

“Thank you!” I hugged Itachi tightly and released him before he could respond. “I’ll see you later, Nato!” I yelled, waving to him. He barely waved back before Sasuke tackled him with a triumphant shriek. I laughed and then jogged away.

Dinner was simple—I reheated some leftovers from the day before—and I packed up Naruto’s things. By the time I made it to the training ground, I still had a good quarter hour until Tonbo was supposed to be there. So I set my bags aside and settled down to meditate.

**Uzumaki.**

_What do you want, Kyuubi? I’m trying to meditate._

**What are you going to do if the Uchiha doesn’t take it well?**

I took a long moment to think over that, making sure to keep my breathing even and steady and moving my chakra counterclockwise in my abdomen.

**Uzumaki?**

_I don’t know. I think . . . . It’ll be fine. I know Shisui. It’ll be fine._

**And if it isn’t?**

_We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it._

**That’s a terrible—**

I opened my eyes and looked up at the source of chilly energy. “Tobitake-sensei,” I greeted.

“Impressive,” he mused. He motioned me forward and I scrambled to my feet, obeying. “Very well. Let’s begin.” He opened a drawstring bag and withdrew a handful of pebbles.

* * *

 

“Sleep . . . over?” Naruto asked, blinking. “Really? Without you?”

“Yep.” I tugged him to me and ruffled his hair. “You’ll be just fine, Nato. You and Sasuke will have a lot of fun and I’ll be here to walk with you to the Academy in the morning. Okay?”

He thought about it. “Okay, dattebayo.” He tucked his head against my shoulder. “I love you.”

I kissed the top of his head. “I love you too. Now go have fun.” I pressed the bag of his things into his arms and watched him run off. With a glance in Itachi’s direction, I turned and left the house. “Two streets east,” I murmured, glancing towards the sun and then heading off. I tucked my thumbs into the straps of my backpack. When I came out on the last street, I began to repeat to myself, “207, 207, 207.”

I stopped in front of the house and nodded. Then I slipped my backpack off my shoulders and prepared to settle in to wait.

“Mirai? Do you need something?”

I jumped and dropped my bag. It was caught a moment before it hit the ground and I looked up. A grin cracked my face. “Shisui!”

He cocked an eyebrow and pressed my bag back into my arms. “You sound surprised to see me here. This _is_ my house.”

“Oh, well, I know that. That’s why I’m here.”

He stared at me for a long moment, the exhaustion on his face clear and I just felt worse for choosing today to do it. Then his eyes widened. “Oh!” He dug in his pocket and pulled out a small purse. “There.” He leaned forward and tucked it into my backpack.

“Oh.” I titled my head to the side. “Thanks. But that’s not what I’m here for. I need to talk to you, actually. It’s, um . . . .” I glanced to the side and swallowed nervously. “Important.”

He was staring again. And then he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Picking at his shirt—which was stiff with dried blood—he said, “You can come in. But you’re gonna have to wait until I take a shower. And I’ll need to eat because I’m starving.” He waved to me and then slid open his door.

I skipped in past him. As I toed off my shoes, I mumbled, “Sorry about bothering you after your mission. I’ve just been putting this off."

“Uh-huh,” he said absently. Then he yawned. “It’s fine.” He waved a hand in the general direction of the living room. “Make yourself comfortable.” Then he stumbled off down the hall.

I bounced on my feet for a moment, glancing around at the plain house and blank walls. Then I tossed my backpack into the living room and paced into his kitchen. “Let’s see what you have,” I murmured, opening his pantry. After taking stock there, I went to his fridge and the his freezer. Satisfied, I cracked my knuckles and got to work.

It was about a half hour later when he interrupted me. “What are you doing?”

I didn’t look up and instead finished dishing out the bowl of food. “You said you were starving.” I slid the bowl across the table to him. “Eat up!”

“You didn’t have to do this,” he mumbled, though he pulled out a chair and hastily picked up the chopsticks. Shisui dug in with a vigor and the entire bowl was finished in just a couple minutes. He glanced up. “You didn’t happen to make more . . . did you?”

I grinned. “As a matter of fact, I did.” I grabbed the wok and brought it to the table. “You should be able to a get a couple more servings out of there.”

He managed something that sounded vaguely like thanks and filled up his bowl again. Once he was halfway through, he looked up at me. “What was it you wanted to talk about?”

“How secure is your house? Is there any chance of . . . . I dunno, someone listening?”

He blinked and slowly lowered his chopsticks. “Well, there’s always that. But I’ve got some pretty intense security measures.” As a worried expression overcame his face, he squinted at me. “Are you in trouble, Mirai?”

“No. It’s not like that.” I focused in on a scratch in his table and began tracing it over and over again. “Can your sharingan . . . look inside my head? I heard something about it doing that and I want to show you something. Because it’s hard to figure out how to say it.”

He finally dropped his chopsticks. Groaning, he dug his hands into his hair. “Can I— Okay.” He took a deep breath. “I can do that. But I just want to let you know that if I didn’t already trust you, I’d think you were crazy, kiddo.” He considered that. “Actually, I do think you’re crazy.”

“Yeah, I was expecting that.” I scratched the back of my neck and grinned sheepishly. “Sorry.”

He awkwardly half-rose to his feet and pulled his chair so he was closer to me. “Sit so you’re sure you won’t fall out of your chair. Then relax and look up at me.”

Surprise shocked my lungs. “Oh. Okay.” I straightened and did as he said.

Shisui blinked and suddenly his eyes were spinning red pinwheels. His familiar chakra warmed around my eyes.

I opened the eyes I had never closed and found myself standing in the empty hallway at ANBU headquarters. It was a familiar sight, one I saw every time I went into my mindscape. But this time Shisui was standing next to me, staring around in wonder. “Wow,” he gasped.

“Never been in a mind before?” I asked curiously.

“I have,” he said, shrugging. “But it’s always been for someone being interrogated. It’s not the same.” He stared up at the mist above us and then reached up.

“Don’t touch that,” I said, voice getting sharp. When he pulled back and looked at me in surprise, I shrugged. “It’s disorienting and might throw in some stuff I don’t want to share.”

 **“Uzumaki,”** the familiar voice rumbled, echoing down the hall from the glowing doorway.

Shisui jumped and then jerked me behind him as he whipped towards the voice. “What the hell?” he snapped out. “Is that—“

“Relax,” I said, pulling away. “It’s just Kyuubi. You want to meet him?” When Shisui started stuttering at that, I just grinned. “C’mon.” I grabbed onto his shirt sleeve and started down the hallway. We made it just a few steps before he stopped short.

“Hold on,” he said, eyes wide. “Are you telling me that you and the Kyuubi actually _talk?”_

“C’mon,” I said, tugging on him. “Let me show you.”

He stumbled reluctantly after me only to stop abruptly again the moment we made it to the doorway. I released him, smiling widely up at the bars. “Konichiwa, Kyuubi. Why don’t you say hi to Shisui?”

Kurama hauled himself to his feet and huffed through the bars. He stared down at Shisui, who was frozen still with eyes wide in panic. **“Greetings, Uchiha,”** he said, spitting out the name.

I elbowed Shisui. “Well? It’s not nice to ignore him.”

“Um . . . hi,” Shisui squeaked out.

I giggled and even Kurama huffed a laugh. **“It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone fear me,”** he rumbled. **“I’ve been stuck here with this one and all she ever does is get on my fucking nerves.”**

“Watch your language,” I warned. “This isn’t what I wanted to show you, Shisui.” I pushed him out of the room. “Let’s go. This way.”

Once we were a few steps away, his shoulders sagged. “That— You— That was— Do you always lecture the _Kyuubi no Kitsune_ on his _language?”_ he asked incredulously, a little out of breath.

I shrugged. “Sometimes. Sometimes he calls me out on my language. We’re both hypocrites. Here we are!” I pushed open the door.

He glanced oddly towards me and then stepped inside. He breathed in sharply and moved forward, brushing his fingers across the scrolls on the shelves. “Are these . . . .”

“Memories? Yep.” I cleared my throat. “Tell me, Shisui. What do you believe about reincarnation?”

“Hmm?” he asked in response, still staring at the scrolls. And then what I said must have registered because he jerked around to stare at me. “Reincarnation?” he rasped. “That—“ He hesitated and glanced aside. “Taichou, are you saying— You can’t just spring questions on me like that, kid.”

“Technically, I’m older than you,” I said airily, crossing my arms. “So really the kid here is you. I died when I was sixteen, so that makes me, what, six years older than you?”

And then suddenly I was back in his kitchen and just a half second later I hit the ground. I caught myself and looked up to find Shisui pacing, breathing heavily and running his hands through his hair as he muttered to himself. “Shisui?” I asked cautiously, climbing to my feet.

“Mirai!” he said loudly, turning towards me. Then he groaned and dragged a hand down his face. “Kami dammit, this explains a lot. I— Dammit. Okay, okay. I can handle this.” He started pacing again. “I can handle this. This is totally a normal thing, right? I can—“

“Shisui!”

“What?” he asked, blinking towards me.

I frowned. “You okay? Didn’t mean to throw you like that.”

“Um.” He rubbed his forehead. “Yeah, I’m, yeah. Okay, you weren’t done. Let’s . . . .” He trailed off as he sat back down and cleared his throat.

I climbed back into my chair and faced him. “You good?”

“I think so, yeah.” He hesitated. “You’re not throwing anything else like that at me . . . are you?”

I grinned guiltily. “You’ll see.”

“Kami,” he muttered. “Let’s do this.” Then his eyes turned red.

We were in the hallway again and I could hear Kurama chuckling to himself. Shisui glanced towards the door as we passed and I shook my head. “He’s laughing at you,” I explained softly. “He thought you wouldn’t handle the discovery very well.”

“I think I’m doing reasonably well,” Shisui defended. Then he marched ahead of me and pushed open a door. “Let’s just get— Holy shit!” He stumbled away from the edge that fell into nothing.

I reached out and slammed the door shut. “Yeah, that’s not memories.”

“What the hell was that?” he squeaked out.

 _“That_ was the Void I was stuck in before being reincarnated. Not very pleasant, so I’d avoid that door at all costs.” I took a few steps to the next door. “This is it.” I opened it.

“Alright. I’m just gonna accept that I have no idea what the hell is going on.” He shook his head and then stepped into the room. “What now?”

I threw out my hand widely to gesture to the entire room and then leaned onto my catalog shelves. “These are all my memories in this life. Took a bit to organize, but now I can find stuff if I want.” Then I pushed myself up and paced over to the blank wall. With a snap of my fingers, a padlocked door appeared. Another snap of my fingers and the locks disappeared. “These are the memories from my old life.” I pushed my way inside. It was dark at first, but then the lights came on with a groaning hum and I wondered what that was implying about my mental state.

“And . . . what am I doing here?”

I stepped over to my cataloging system. “Take a look and tell me what you think is out of place here.”

He glanced towards me suspiciously and then stepped up towards the bookcases to study the catalog books there. Some were labeled _School_ and _Family Dinner_ and _Birthdays._ But then he came to one and stared. He reached up with a shaking hand and pulled out the book clearly labeled _Naruto._ “That doesn’t make sense.” He looked up, as if staring at me could give him an explanation. Then he looked down and opened the book, skimming his eyes over the titles of my memories. Then he grew very, very pale.

I stepped forward and glanced down at what he was staring at: _The Uchiha Massacre._ I glanced up at him. “As I see it, there’s two possibilities: either the author of the story in my world could look from my dimension into this one and then record it or . . . him writing the story created this world. Either way, I died up and ended up in a piece of fiction from my old life.”

He was still staring at the page. “What is this?” he whispered.

“This entire place was just a story. Then I was born into it and it wasn’t just a story anymore.” I sighed. “I know about the coup. And I know that’s how it’s going to end. And . . . I don’t know any way to avoid it.”

“But . . . .” He licked his lips and looked up at me. “Can I see it?”

I hesitated and then nodded. “Watch whatever you want,” I said, feeling that vulnerability eating me up inside. “I want you to believe me.”

“Okay,” he rasped. Then he looked up and his eyes flashed. The rows and rows of scrolls moved forward across the shelves and came to a stop. Shisui stepped forward and began checking the tags before finding the right scroll.

“I’ll be talking to Kyuubi,” I murmured.

He just hummed in response.

I left the room in a hurry and returned to the ANBU jail. Kurama harrumphed when I entered the room but didn’t open his eyes or rise from his sleeping position. “Kyuubi,” I mumbled. “I think I screwed up. I think this is just gonna ruin everything. Either he’s gonna think I’m insane or he’s gonna turn me in to the Hokage.”

 **“You worry too much,”** he muttered, shifting but not doing anything else. **“It’s annoying.”**

“Aw, that’s sweet.” I sat and leaned my back against the bars. I closed my eyes. “Tell me a story,” I murmured.

**“I’m not a library.”**

“I tote you around in my head all day and you’ve been around forever. You’ve had to have seen cool stuff. Give me _something,”_ I wheedled.

He sighed. **“Fine. Once upon a time, or something stupid like that, I knew a dragon.”**

* * *

 

**“She ate him whole and I never had to deal with that asshole again. The end.”**

I hummed, eyes closed and myself half drifting off. “Thanks,” I yawned.

“Are you . . . getting a bedtime story from a demon?”

I jumped and looked up. “Shisui!” I scrambled to my feet. “Um, so, how—“ I bit down on my lip and shifted from foot to foot.

He stared at me oddly for a long moment. Then he asked, “What was your name?”

I licked my lips. “Sophie Cooper. Um, family names were last.”

“What did you look like?”

“Here, let me show you.” I focused and felt myself change. It really was amazing what could be achieved in mindscapes.

Shisui watched me and then walked up to me. We were the same height now and he studied my old appearance—brown hair, brown eyes, sickly pale skin—with a kind of wonder. “You’re telling the truth,” he said.

It wasn’t a question, but I answered it anyway. “I am.”

His voice broke over his next few words. “I don’t know what to do about my clan.”

“I . . . don’t think you can save them. Not without making things worse.” I felt guilt settling in my stomach and oh, how I hated having to tell him this. “But I think you can save yourself.”

“But the massacre—“

“You died before then.” I released that hold over my physical appearance and shoved my hands in my pockets. “Danzo attacked you and stole your eye. So you gave your last eye to Itachi and then committed suicide in Naka River. You had a lot of reasoning for it, but I don’t think I want that to happen.”

“Oh. That’s nice,” he mumbled. “You know more about this than me, obviously. What exactly are you saying I should do? If I don’t die then, won’t I still die in the massacre?”

“Not if everyone already thinks you really are dead. You do everything the same except you don’t actually die in the river.” I cleared my throat. “And keep your eyes, preferably.”

“Preferably,” he agreed.

 **“Could you two dirtbags go away?”** Kurama grumbled. **“I’m trying to sleep.”**

I looked up and grinned. “Alright, we’ll get out of your hair.”

**“Good. Oh, and Uchiha?”**

Shisui swallowed. “Yeah?” he asked hesitantly.

**“One wrong move against my host and you’ll learn what the inside of my stomach looks like.”**

His eyes widened. “Er, right.”

I blinked to find myself back in Shisui’s kitchen, staring at him. Then I grinned nervously and clapped my hands. “Well, I’m glad you don’t hate me. Or think I’m crazy. Or, kami forbid, want to turn me over to the Hokage.”

“Did it hurt?” he asked suddenly.

“Huh?”

“Did dying hurt?”

“Well, of course it did. Hurt like hell, and the afterward wasn’t any better.” I cocked my head at the way he frowned at that. “You’re not gonna die, Shisui. You can’t. I need your help.”

He smiled weakly and got his feet, grabbing his bowl. “Right.” He moved to the microwave to reheat his food. “And Sasuke?”

“He’s Naruto’s best friend. And I care about him. No matter what happens, he’ll have our full love and support.”

“Kami. And I thought my mission was bad,” he muttered.

My heart wrench. “Sorry,” I whispered. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but I needed to tell someone and I needed it to be someone I could trust.”

“Well, it’s flattering that you came to me, at least.” He took out the bowl and juggled it awkwardly as he returned to the table. “What’s your plan, then? Lay it out for me.”

“Oh!” I scrambled to my feet and over to the living room. I grabbed my bag and dug out a storage scroll as I headed back towards him. I dropped the scroll on the table. “I have some basics, but other things require more of a basis of resources and materials in order to finish. Most immediate would be you and the Massacre.” I glanced across the storage seals before locating the right one. I charged my chakra and a notebook appeared.  “Here.” I slid it to him.

He opened it and then frowned, squinting. “Uh, what the hell is this?”

“Huh?” I leaned over and found him staring at my looping English. “Oh, er, right. My first language is English, so that’s what I write in because no one else here knows it so they can’t figure out what I’m saying.”

“Ah.” He glanced up at me. “Could I learn it?”

Hot air caught in my throat, choking itself around my next few words. “Really? You’d want that?”

He turned to the first blank page in the notebook. Then he dug in my backpack before coming up with a pen. As he pressed it into my hand, he said, “Teach me.”

* * *

 

“He thinks you’re gonna turn me in.”

Shisui blinked, glancing down at me. “Who?” His eyes widened a little and he swallowed, glancing away as his voice dropped. _“Him?”_

I shrugged, ignoring Kurama’s snickering in the back of my mind. “He doesn’t trust easy. I don’t either. Guess that’s why we make a good pair.”

“You’re . . . in constant contact?”

“Mhmm,” I murmured, tucking my thumbs under the straps of my backpack. “Since I was three.” Then I changed the direction of our conversation the moment we started approaching the busier part of the Village. “How are you spending your day off?”

He groaned. “Thanks to you, I have a lot to look over. After your lesson with Anko, Itachi and I will take you to a training ground and work with you.”

I looked up at him with a frown. “And you’re sure that Itachi will want to do that?”

“I’ll convince him.”

I froze, stumbling a bit. “You’re gonna tell him?” I squeaked out.

“No, of course not. But he’ll listen to me.”

“Oh, okay.” I regained my pace and tilted my head back to stare upwards. “But who’s gonna watch Nato?”

“He and Sasuke will come with us. They can play or do their homework while we train. And I have a few things to bring you that I think will help. How is your henge?”

“Coming along. I’ve gotten it a couple times but I need to practice more. Iruka-sensei lets me practice if we’re going over something I already know, so I should have it soon.”

“Figures that you’d get your sensei switching within a couple days. Kami, Mirai, why are you such a troublemaker?”

I just grinned up at him as we approached the Academy. “It’s just who I am, kiddo.” My grin only grew when he shot me sharp look for that term. I rose up on my toes so I could kinda manage to pat him condescendingly on the shoulder. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“I can’t believe you,” he scoffed. “Go away and annoy your instructor instead. It’s bad enough that I’m gonna have to deal with you later.” And then he vanished in a flash of hot energy.

I pushed my way into the yard and then the school. When I reached the classroom, it was abuzz with energy. Choji saw me first and waved shyly. I kept my smile wide as I approached. “Konichiwa.”

“Rai!” Naruto slammed into me. “Last night was _awesome!_ Itachi let us build a fort in the living room and sleep there! And then Teme woke me up with a pillow fight! I won!”

“Did not!” Sasuke squeaked out. “I won!”

“Nu-uh! I did!”

“No way!”

“Of course I did!”

“I won!”

I sighed and then turned to Shikamaru and Choji behind us with a smile. “Konichiwa.”

“Konichiwa, Mirai-chan,” Choji greeted shyly. “Um, do you . . . have onigiri?”

My smile faded just a touch. “Not today. I’m sorry. But I do have melonpan.” I opened my bag. “You like some.”

“Yes, please. Shikamaru?”

The brunet looked up tiredly and shrugged. “As long as you promise we actually get to finish a game today.”

“Deal.” I set some melonpan in front of both him and Choji. “Eat up! You want any, Nato? Sasuke-kun?”

The two froze in the middle of their squabble, Sasuke’s fist twisted in Naruto’s shirt and Naruto gripping some of Sasuke’s hair. Then they grinned and untangled themselves. “Sure!”

I passed them some melonpan before finally settling down in my chair. I had just finished up setting my book for notes when Iruka cleared his throat, standing at the front of the classroom. “Today will be your last day unlocking chakra. Let’s begin.”

I pulled up my legs so I could sit criss-cross and I rested my hands on my thighs, closing my eyes. Small pinch of chakra, hand signs, henge. Small pinch, hands signs, henge. Pinch, sign, henge. Pinch, sign, henge.

* * *

 

“Well, it didn’t explode. That’s good.” Anko looked up and flicked her wrist. The dango skewer she’d been chewing on impaled itself in the ceiling alongside dozens of others.

I stared up at the skewers for just a second before looking back down at my seal. “Should I take it out, now?”

“Go for it.”

“Okay.” I touched the seal and charged chakra. The box of dango reappeared in a burst, splattering dough and cardboard everywhere.

Anko blinked. She dragged a finger across her face and licked the dango off. “Well, that was something. But this is why you have to figure out how to build a storage seal from scratch rather than just copying one.” She rubbed her face clean with her sleeve.

I wrinkled my nose and grabbed a napkin, scrubbing the dango off. “What did I do wrong?”

“A storage seal is a door that opens both ways. You opened it fine going in. Check your balance for your exit.”

I leaned over the seal and brushed off the ruptured cardboard. “I have to link an equalizer in with the entrance to make sure it’s balanced. Right?”

“Right.” Anko took the paper away and wadded it up. When she threw it, it bounced off the wall and into the trashcan. “Try again.”

“Shouldn’t we clean this up?”

“Meh, we’ll wait until we’re ready to leave. No point in cleaning up now if you make another mess.”

“I’m going to get it right this time.” I began drawing the seal out again.

“You better. That was a complete waste of good dango.” She waved her hand to flag down our server for another order.

I adjusted the exit formula to include an equal link before pulling back. “Okay. It should work not.”

“Should? Or will?” She sounded and looked uninterested, focused in on the dango on the plate in front of her as she tried to decide which one to eat next.

I straightened my shoulders. “Will.”

“Good. Here you go.” She passed me a book.

I took it and my eyes widened. “This is my bingo book. I can’t—“

“Then you better hope you got the seal right.”

“Right . . . .” I put the bingo book on the seal and my hands next to it. “Fuuin!”

The book disappeared safely. Anko waved her skewer at me before throwing it at the ceiling. “Take it out.”

“Okay. Fuuin!”

The bingo book’s reappearance was rather anticlimactic. I stared at it. It sat that. I stared at it. Anko took another piece of dango. I looked up at her. “I did it!”

“Good for you,” she said, gathering together her multiple boxes of dango. “See you next Tuesday, Red.” She vanished.

“Hey, wait!” I pulled a face and stared around at the mess of cardboard and dango.

Might as well get started.

I made it to the Compound about twenty minutes later. Itachi and Shisui were sitting on the front step, talking while they watched Naruto and Sasuke argued about who was doing the Academy stance better. “Hi,” I greeted. I slung off my back and took out the box of dango. “Courtesy of my class with Anko,” I told Itachi, holding it out to him.

He looked slightly impressed as he took it. “You listened.”

“Well, you don’t need to sound so shocked,” I muttered, dropping my bag so it rested against my leg. “Where are we going?”

“Training Ground 37,” Shisui said, getting to his feet and taking my bag. “We’re going to shunshin the boys there. And we want to see how long it takes you to get there.” He nodded to Itachi and they moved to the boys, interrupting their fight. “Ready, Naruto?” Shisui asked.

Naruto looked up. “Oh! Yeah.”

“Good.” Shisui put a hand on his shoulder and glanced towards me. “You know where 37 is?”

“Yeah, generally, but—“

“Great.” He and Itachi vanished, Sasuke and Naruto with them.

“Well, okay,” I huffed. At least he’d taken my backpack, so I didn’t have that hindrance. I settled into a jog. “Not like there’s a secret entrance,” I muttered. “Or a key to get in. Nope, not concerned about that at all.”

**There’s chakra tumblers that you have to move using a variation of your tree-walking exercise.**

_Sorry? You know about 37?_

**It was one of Mito’s favorite training areas because of its seclusion.**

_So . . . you know where the secret entrance is?_

**Of course I do, dumbass.**

_Ooh, touchy!_ Grinning, I sped up. When I approached the gate, the guards looked up and waved to me. Kotetsu grinned. “Where you goin’ in such a hurry, Mirai-chan?”

“Training!” I called easily, running back. I settled into a fast, steady pace. As I approached, I asked _How do I get in?_

**There’s a trapdoor hidden by a genjutsu. It messes with your sense of direction.**

_Visually based?_

**Hai. You’ll have to disperse it.**

_Shit. Shisui did this on purpose._

**There it is. Stop.**

I slowed to a stop and frowned at the area in front of me. “Okay. Okay, okay, okay.” I brought my hands into a seal. “Kai.” A pulse of my chakra. I frowned and closed my eyes, listening to my chakra. There, at the edge, an energy twisting with my own that wasn’t mine. I focused on that. “Kai!”

My chakra ached as the foreign energy unwound and dissipated. I opened my eyes to find an iron trapdoor in the ground in front of me, flat and plain except for a large handle. I knelt down and pressed my hand against the door. Energy sparked cold against my fingers. _I get what you’re talking about. I can feel it._ I reached out with my chakra to grab the chakra that was teasing me. My hold slipped. I tried again. And again. And again. Then I managed to grab ahold.

I turned my hand and frowned as I felt a lot of resistant. With a grunt, I kept trying. The tumblers inside shifted. And then they settled with a click. I let out a sigh of relief and set down, wiping my forehead. “Well, that wasn’t anywhere near as hard as I thought it would be.”

It took a moment for me to drag myself to my feet. I gripped the handle and heaved. The door resisted and protested loudly. Then it fell completely open with a clank. I fumbled with the handle on the reverse side and pulled it with some difficulty as I started down the stairs. It slammed closed above me, leaving the only light I could see from the source far down below. I descended to the sound of the tumblers automatically locking themselves above me.

“Look who made it!” Shisui said, grinning the moment I reached the bottom step.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. “It . . . didn’t take you anywhere near as long as I thought it should.”

I smiled and shrugged before glancing around. “This place is really cool.”

“You probably won’t think that when we’re done,” Shisui said, selecting two weapons from the wall: a bo and hanbo. He tossed the hanbo to me. “Ready?”

I caught the staff and settled into a stance. “Really?”

Itachi looked unimpressed. “A little much, don’t you think?”

Shisui shrugged. “Maybe. Hajime!”

* * *

 

“You’re sure this is right?”

“You not trust me?” he scoffed, fixing my obi-jime. “How’s that feel?”

I shifted, my zori tapping loudly as I moved so I could study myself in his mirror. I reached up and felt the tortoiseshell comb in my hair. “I can’t believe you knew how to do my hair.”

“I would help my mother sometimes,” he said absently, smacking my hand away. “Don’t mess it up.”

“And I look okay?”

“You look like someone who is ready for a formal dinner with a Clan Head and his elders. Which, incidentally, is exactly what you’re supposed to look like.” A grin twisted his expression. “Why? You nervous?”

“Well, I screw this up and then I’ve managed to piss off an entire clam.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re a pessimist. You know that?”

“I’m not a pessimist. I’m a realist.”

“Yeah, yeah, that sounds like an excuse to me. You ready? You’re going to be late. And I can promise you that _that_ would piss Shibi off plenty.”

“Right, right. Let’s go.” I followed him, a little unsteady with my new, unfamiliar shoes. “Thanks for all the help.”

He locked the door behind us. “No problem. If I just let you go in unprepared, you’d embarrass yourself and end up with an entire clan wanting your head separated from your body.”

“I’m not sure it would be quite _that_ bad,” I protested.

“If you were just yourself? No, it’d be even worse than that.” He shoved me with his elbow. “Walk a little faster or you won’t make it.”

“I’m wasting training time.”

“It’s not a waste. You’re creating allies. There’s more to being a shinobi that firepower.”

“I know that,” I muttered, tugging at my obi right up to the moment when he smacked my hand away.

“Stop that.”

I pouted. “And I know it’s not really a waste of time. But it _feels_ like it.”

“I don’t care what it feels like. I care what it is and what it isn’t. It _is_ a great opportunity and it _isn’t_ a waste of time. Am I gonna have to go to the dinner with you to make sure you don’t run out in the middle of it?”

“No. I’ll be fine,” I mumbled. “I just don’t like it.”

“You don’t have to like it, Taichou.” He stopped walking. “And this is where I leave you. You’ll stop by for dinner tomorrow?”

I nodded. “Though I’ll have to hurry out. Tobitake-sensei and I will be meeting since I had to cancel today.” I took a deep breath and faced the gates to the Aburame compound. “Here goes nothing.” I stepped forward and knocked solidly. When I glanced back over my shoulder, Shisui was gone. “Shit,” I mumbled under my breath.

**Behave yourself. The Aburame can be friendly, but only after they’ve accepted you. Be on your best behavior, and I know that’s difficult for you.**

Before I could respond, the gate opened and I found myself staring up at Shibi. “Uzumaki-san. Punctual.” He paused and then turned. “Let me escort you. The others are already seated and simply waiting for us.”

I followed him, glancing side to side at what seemed to be an empty compound for the most part. We went into a different building than the one I had visited before. And the moment we were inside I was left facing a long hall with a ornate dinner table. There were several people gathered around the table. The chair at the head of the table was empty, as was the spot to its left. Shino sat to the empty chair’s right. He rose to his feet and bowed his head. “Konichiwa, Uzumaki-san. Thank you for joining us.”

I bowed in returned. “It’s my pleasure, Aburame-san.” I glanced aside to find the elders watching me appraisingly. Shibi stood before his chair and motioned to me. I sat and Shino did the same. Several other Aburame stepped into the room and began filling cups of tea.

Shibi cleared his throat. “On the behalf of the Aburame clan, I would like to welcome you to this dinner, Uzumaki Mirai. We hope you enjoy your time here and that we can foster a lasting relationship between our clans.” With that said, he somehow managed to make taking a seat an elegant action.

 _“Our_ clans?” the question slipped between my lips before I could stop it. I winced and bowed my head. “Pardon the interruption.” Then I shifted to the side to let one of the servers fill my tea.

Shibi’s lips quirked, or maybe that was just the way the light was shining. “Hai. As the eldest of the two last remaining known Uzumaki with a rightful claim to that heritage—as citizens of Konoha with verifiable heritage traceable back to the royal family of Uzushiogakure—the status of clan head would fall to you, would it not?”

I could feel more than hear the way Kurama began to pay more direct attention to the conversation and I swallowed thickly. “I’m not the eldest. Or rather, we don’t know.”

Shibi nodded in acknowledgment. “Perhaps. But no one would argue that Naruto-san is the oldest. Not even he himself. Would you not agree?”

“I . . . would agree that it’s unlikely anyone would argue,” I said reluctantly with a nod.

“Excellent. Then let this begin a long relationship between the Aburame Clan and the Uzumaki Clan.” He lifted his teacup. “To allies.”

I fumbled with my cup and barely lifted it in time, echoing, “To allies.” My words fell just a touch behind everyone else’s, but no one commented. Silence fell over the room as the servers returned, this time with dishes of food. I didn’t touch mine, waiting. Once Shibi received his food and picked up his chopsticks, I finally touched my own. Shisui has spent over two hours prepping me on the etiquette of dinners like this, and I’d be damned if I screwed up on something as simple as eating order.

“Uzumaki-dono.”

I looked up—the honorific surprising me—to find that it was one of the elders that had spoken. “Hai, Aburame-san?”

He bowed his head respectfully. “Aburame Manzo. How much do you know about the Uzumaki Clan?”

It was difficult to smile at that question, so I didn’t. “Not as much as I wish I did. I do believe there’s more of us out there. The elimination of an . . . entire line is difficult to believe.”

Another elder cleared her throat. “Aburame Rumi,” she introduced. “What do you know about the elimination of the Uzumaki?”

I frowned a little. I didn’t remember much from the anime itself, but I had read the sparse information in some of the history books at the library. I took a deep breath. Then I spoke.

* * *

 

"How are your lessons with Anko?” He moved a silver general.

“Good.” I took a long time to move my own piece, and when I did it was just a pawn. “And Tobitake-sensei has moved me on to shielding my chakra from others. Which is difficult since I have so much of it.” I folded my hands together and looked up at him. “Speaking of that . . . .”

“Hmm? Is there something you would like to ask, Mirai-chan?” Hiruzen asked, drumming his fingers on his desk before making his next move.

“I’d like to learn kage bunshin, please. I’ve learned kawarimi and henge, leaving bunshin to learn next. I know that my chakra pool would make it near impossible. I was reading a biography of the Nidaime recently that mentioned his invention, kage bunshin, which creates solid clones that require more chakra. Presumably, that would be more achievable for me.”

“I do see your point,” he said, smiling faintly. “I’ll consider it. That’s not a small jutsu to learn, after all. Especially for a child your age. But if I decide to grant that request, I’ll let you know.”

“Arigato.” I moved a lance. “Tsumi.”

Hiruzen paused glancing across the board as if to check whether or not I was lying. Or had cheated, maybe. Then he nodded once. “Impressive, Mirai-chan. You’ve improved.”

“I’ve been playing with Shikamaru-kun.” I began packing up the pieces. “I haven’t managed to beat him yet, though.”

“Ah, well, the Nara are known for their uncanny skill at the game.” Hiruzen sighed deeply and withdrew his pipe. As he lit it, he said, “Kakashi-kun knows kage bunshin. I’ll speak with him. I look forward to playing another game with you next Sunday. Perhaps I will win that time.”

I got to my feet and bowed my head. “Maybe.” I shrugged and eyed him for a moment. “Thank you for your time, Hiruzen-dono.” With that said and done, I left as quickly as I could without making it look like I was running away. I descended the stairs and purposely kept from looking towards where Yajirobee was sitting at his desk. When I pushed open the front door, I felt a warmth to my left. I glanced to the side. “You waiting for me?” I asked curiously.

Shisui glanced up from his book and blinked for a long moment. Then something clicked in his gaze. “Oh, yeah!” He shut the book with a snap. “You up for ramen? I’m up for ramen.”

“Um, that’s a dumb question.” I let the door close behind me and tucked my right hand in my pocket. “I’m always up for ramen. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

I frowned and eyed him for a moment. Then I held out my left hand. “Okay. Take us there.”

He grabbed my hand and his hot energy burned my senses as he shunshined us. It was longer than normal and I forgot how to breathe. When we stopped, I ripped my hands from his and bent forward, gasping. “You okay?” he murmured. “Sorry, I should’ve moved us in stages.”

I waved a hand and gasped out, “N-no, it’s fine! Just . . . just give me a sec.” I pressed a hand against my chest and straightened, lungs burning. “I’m okay. Don’t do that again.”

Shisui looked vaguely amused. “Got it.” Then he picked me up, ignoring my indignant squeak, and set me on one of the stools. He waved to Teuchi. “Salt for her. I’ll take a pork.”

Once Teuchi had moved away to fill the order, I glanced towards Shisui. “Well? Spill. What’s going on?”

He tapped his fingers against the bar, not answering right away. Then he murmured, “Is there really no other way?”

I winced before I had even fully registered his question. “What would be the alternative? Trust me, I’ve gone through idea after idea and they’re worse and just about every way possible.”

“It’s just . . . .”

“Shit? I know.”

He barked out a laugh. “You really have to clean your mouth up, Taichou.”

“So I’ve been told,” I commented, straightening when Teuchi set a bowl in front of me. “Arigato. Where’s Ayame?”

“She’s out of the Village getting ingredients. Our shinobi escort this time included a rather loud man dressed all in green. And when I say loud . . . .”

“Ah. You got Gai,” Shisui said, grinning and breaking apart his chopsticks.

I looked towards him sharply. “Maito Gai? I haven’t met him yet.” I slurped up a mouthful of ramen.

“There’s a lot of people you haven’t met yet,” Shisui said, rolling his eyes. “Gai is hardly the only one.”

“Well, we just have to fix that, don’t we?”

“We? Don’t you rope me into this.”

“Too late. You’re in this.” With that, I practically inhaled the rest of my ramen and then hopped down from my seat. “Let’s go! The Jonin Station is waiting for us!”

“Wha— Dammit, Taichou,” he muttered, hunching over his bowl. He hurriedly slurped up the rest of his ramen and then slammed down his money on the counter. “Fine. Let’s go.” He clamped a hand on my shoulder.

The next thing I knew, I was kneeling on the ground and trying not to throw up. “Y-you _promised,”_ I gasped out.

“I did no such thing,” he said innocently, strolling towards the station entrance. “You’re falling behind.”

Cursing, I scrambled shakily to my feet and dashed after him. Shisui was already starting down the stairs and, feeling vindictive, I tackled him. Shisui let out an actual _squeal_ of alarm and then we tumbled downwards. The steps’ sharp edges hit me harshly as I fell, but it was totally worth it. We reached the bottom and Shisui sprawled out, gasping. “Are you fucking serious?” he muttered.

Laughing, I dragged myself to my feet. “That’s what you get for picking on me with your shunshin.”

“What the hell is going on?”

I looked up to find several familiar faces and I focused in on the one that had spoken. “Ohayo, Genma! Shisui was being a jerk so I tackled him down the stairs.”

“I can . . . see that. What’s up, Pumpkin? You usually don’t, um—“

“Act immature?” Anko asked, grinning. “You clearly haven’t been there for our fuuinjutsu lessons.”

Shisui shoved himself to his feet, rubbing his head. “See if I teach you anything ever again.”

Grinning, I brought my hands up into a seal. Then another and another before muttering _henge_. In a puff of smoke, I stood taller and I smirked at him. “‘See if I teach you anything ever again!’” I mocked loudly.

“I don’t sound like that.”

“I don’t sound like that!” I let my voice go far higher than it should. Then I let the henge drop, laughing. “Where’s your sense of humor?”

“My sense of humor is just fine,” he muttered.

“Uh-huh, yeah, yeah.” I shoved my hands in my pockets and glanced around the room. “Who’s that?” I gestured with my head.

“That’s Morino Ibiki. Trust me, you don’t want—“

I was already walking towards him and I heard Shisui curse behind me before he rushed to catch up. I stopped by where Ibiki was hunched over a table, writing out on a scroll. I bowed my head. “Konichiwa, Morino-san. I’m Uzumaki Mirai.”


	11. Chapter Ten - Gambol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Gambol—verb : to dance or skip about in play; to frolic]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve gotten some comments/messages about this and I’ve gotten enough that I think I should address it. Some readers are concerned that Mirai is stunting Naruto’s growth more than it was stunted in canon. They’re six? Canon doesn’t show us what his growth was at six? He’s already emotionally in a better place than he was at the beginning of canon, in my opinion, and they literally just started the Academy. From the information canon does give us, it’s unlikely that he would be able to read/have a good grasp on reading at the beginning of the Academy, but he does here. I’m not sure I understand people’s concerns in this area?  
> Please read and review!

“It’s a map. That’s a simple riddle. I thought you wanted to challenge me.”

He eyed me for a long time. Then he grunted and reached into his pocket. “Here.” He slammed something on the table and the sound made Shisui jolt in his sleep. I glanced back over my shoulder only to watch Shisui mumble something blearily, turn over in his spot on the couch, and go back to sleep.

I turned back and frowned at the wooden box left on the table. “What is this?” I asked, tilting my head so I could study it from another angle.

“That,” Ibiki said gruffly, “is a puzzle box. I carry one—or something like it—for entertainment between torture sessions. This type of box is meant to store information.”

“There’s something inside for me?”

“It’s mine,” he said firmly. “But I suppose if you can open it . . . .”

I snatched up the box with a grin and turned it over in my hands. “I can take it?”

“If you think you have the brain for it.”

“Ibiki, stop that,” Genma said exhaustedly, sitting up. “I know you like to play mind games with people, but don’t drag Mirai into it.”

“I’m happy to.” I looked up at him, still turning the box over in my hands. “I’m happy to let him play his mind games if I get something out of it.”

Genma’s expression pulled into a frown and then he sighed. “Pumpkin . . . .” He dragged his hand down his face. He forced a smile and held out his hand. “C’mon, why don’t you and I take a walk? I need to talk to you.”

I hesitated and then nodded. “Okay, just . . . .” I stashed the box away in my bag. “Sure. Hey, Shisui?”

He grumbled something and then, without opening his eyes, murmured, “Yeah, yeah, have fun.”

I grinned. “Great. Sweet dreams!” With that, I grabbed Genma’s hand and let him pull me to my feet. “Where are we going?” I slipped on my backpack then took his hand again.

“I . . . want to show you something.” He took my pack from me and slipped a scroll out of his flak jacket. With a flurry of movement he sealed away my bag and returned his scroll to its rightful spot. “Here we go.” He turned to me.

“Wha— Whoa!” A giggle pulled itself out of me and I squealed in alarm when I was lifted high up. Genma settled me easily on his shoulders. “Warn me next time,” I warned him, straightening so I wouldn’t fall backwards.

“Where’s the fun in that?” he asked, strong hands holding my ankles. “Watch your head.” With that said, he jogged up the stairs. Genma chuckled when I clutched to him to avoid falling. “I won’t drop you, Pumpkin.”

“I believe you,” I assured him, squinting as he stepped out into the bright sunlight. “But just in case . . . .” I wrapped my arms solidly around the top of his head, right over his hitai-ate.

He laughed loudly at that and patted my shin. “If that’s what makes you comfortable.”

“Are we shunshining wherever you’re taking me?” I asked, resting my chin on the top of his head.

“Shunshin? No, no. I think I want to spend the walk with you. Is that alright?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s okay.” I smiled, letting my eyes close. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Well, how’s the Academy been?”

“Good. Bekko-sensei got replaced by Iruka-sensei and at least Iruka-sensei tolerates me. And Naruto. It’s not that he . . . dislikes us. He just gets sad when he looks at us.” I sighed and opened my eyes to find that we were passing through the Village gates. “It’s not his fault, though.”

“Oh? Why is it not his fault?” Genma’s voice had gone soft and his grip on my ankles loosened.

“I looked him up. His parents died the day Naruto and I were born.” I straightened and smoothed out his hitai-ate. “So I can relate. I get sad sometimes too ‘cause . . . . Well.” I frowned. “Where are we going?”

Genma stopped and then lifted me back over his head. He set me down with a careful sigh and smoothed out my clothing. “Somewhere very important. I need to teach you something, Mirai. Something I learned a long time ago. Okay?”

Something in his gaze made uncertainty tug at my gut. “Oh, okay.” I frowned.

He smiled. “There’s no need to be worried. C’mon, it’s this way.” He took my hand and tugged me along. I stumbled after him for a moment before falling in step beside him. Genma rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand. “You know that I love you, right, Pumpkin?”

“Right. Of course I do.” I tightened my hand in his and looked up at him. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Now, why don’t you tell me about what you’ve been doing for fun?”

“Okay. Well, I learned henge! And then I’ve been learning—“

“No, that—“ He sighed and his hand flexed for a moment before relaxing. “No, that’s not what I mean. What are you doing for _fun?”_

“I . . . .” I frowned. “I just told you.”

“Oh, Mirai, that’s not . . . .”

“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I don’t meet to make you upset.”

“Don’t apologize, Pumpkin.” His other hand came over to mess with my beanie. “Here we are.”

“A . . . training ground,” I asked, still following him as we walked across the clearing.

“Well, yeah, but the training ground isn’t what we’re here for. This is.” Then he finally stopped.

I stared at the smooth, inscribed stone in front of me and my eyes widened. “Oh.”

“Do you know what this is?”

I couldn’t seem to say anything and he took that as his answer.

“This is a memorial stone. There are several of these in Konoha, but this is the one I know best.” He reached out and put a hand on the top of it, sighing. “This is the name of every one of our shinobi that died in the Third Shinobi War or since then.” He crouched down. “I lost so many of my comrades and their names are on here now.” He touched his fingers against some of the kanji. “There’s honor in dying for your comrades and your Village, but it’s not something anyone should work toward. But if you make this the only thing you focus on . . . .” He glanced at me.

I swallowed thickly and did my best to avoid looking at him. I reached out and put my hand over the kanji that read _Uzumaki Kushina._ Just below that sat _Namikaze Minato._ “I’m sorry. But I want to protect Naruto.”

“I know. I know.” He smiled sadly and sighed. “I know you do, Pumpkin, and I do too. But I _don’t_ want to . . . to see your name on here.” He let his voice soften and he touched his fingers to my chin. “Mirai, please. There’s more to life than being a shinobi. I want— I _need_ you to understand that.”

I pulled my hand back from my parents’ names and looked up at him. He was watching me with worry and my heart squeezed. “I’ll try,” I promised him.

Genma smiled tightly and then tugged me forward. His arms wrapped around me tightly and it was a little hard to breathe but I didn’t complain. “I love you. I don’t wanna lose you, Pumpkin.”

* * *

 

**This happened sooner than we planned.**

I wiped the bullies’ blood off on my shinobi pants and turned from where I had been watching them run away. Instead, I stared for a moment at the small figure struggling up from the ground. “Here, let me help,” I murmured, reaching out and grabbing her arm. I pulled her to her feet. _It did. But I couldn’t just stand there and let them hit her._

“A-arigato,” she mumbled, head bowed in a way that kept me from seeing her face.

“So, that . . . was crazy.”

I glanced back and grinned at Shikamaru. “My bad.” Then I returned my attention to the girl. “Are you okay? Let me see.” I reached out and tapped her chin until she looked shyly up at me. I winced. “That’s gonna be a nasty bruise. We should probably get you to the nurse. C’mon. Shikamaru, would you—“

“I’ll take your stuff inside,” he said, waving a hand disinterestedly. “Just leave before you do something else insane.”

“Right, right. Let’s go.” I kept a hand on her elbow and steered her towards the entrance. “I’m Uzumaki Mirai.”

“Um, H-hyuuga Hin-hinata. Y-you don’t need to do, to do this.”

“I’m happy to,” I told her promptly, holding open the door for her. “They’re a bunch of assholes.”

Hinata gasped and then quickly looked away. “Um, my T-tousama says not to say that.”

“Well, then you probably shouldn’t repeat most of what I say to your father. How does your face feel?”

“It hurts,” she whispered.

“Yeah, a left hook will do that.”

“I think, um, I think you hurt them worse, though.”

I shrugged. “Maybe it’ll teach them not to mess with you. And he’ll get over his broken nose, don’t worry. Here we are.” I pushed open the door. “Hinata-chan got hit,” I said immediately as the nurse looked up. “Doesn’t look too bad, but it’s already bruising.”

The nurse frowned and got to his feet. “I’ll take a look. Wait outside, Uzumaki-san.”

I stepped out of the room and leaned against the wall, humming to myself. _This won’t hurt anything, really. Not as long as I can make friends with her._

**Knowing you, you’ll fuck that up.**

_No faith at all, huh, Kyuubi?_

**You, Uzumaki, manage to screw things up more than anyone I know.**

_Let’s be honest, you really don’t know that many people. What, with you being stuck in my head and all._

He fell silent after that and I closed my eyes, falling into the sounds of chakra around me. This was my first time listening to Hinata’s chakra when she wasn’t being drowned out by those around her. It was quiet and soft and reminded me of the time Naruto and I had spent by the gentle part of Naka River. The nurse’s chakra wasn’t loud but still managed to almost overpower Hinata’s.

The door opened and I opened my eyes, straightening. “Well?”

“Hyuuga-san is going to be just fine,” the nurse said, smiling. “You two should hurry if you plan to make it back to your class in time.” She stepped back into the room and closed the door.

Hinata’s face was burning red and she seemed to be permanently staring at the ground. “You, you didn’t need to help me,” she murmured.

“You’re right,” I agreed, hooking my arm through hers and leading the way off down the hall. Hinata stumbled after me uncertainly, casting me a curious and embarrassed glance. “I didn’t _need_ to help you. But I did, and now we’re going to be friends. Is that okay?”

“U-uh, yeah,” she squeaked out, face burning bright.

I released her and opened the door to let her inside. “Sorry we’re late, Iruka-sensei. Hinata had to see the nurse.”

“Shikamaru explained the situation to me,” Iruka said. “Take your seats.”

With a wave to Hinata and a thankful nod to Shikamaru—he was face down on his desk and, presumably, asleep—I jogged up to my seat and squeezed past the boys to sit by the window. Naruto leaned over to me. “Rai, are you okay?”

I nodded with a smile. “Yes. Pay attention.”

Iruka returned to drawing a map of Konoha on the board and launched into his lecture about our nation’s history. I pulled out my notebook and began jotting down important points. The founding of Konoha, the assassination of the first Daimyo, the—

**Uzumaki.**

_Hmm?_ I pulled back and realized that I had long since stopped taking notes and had been doodling basic seal structures. _Oh. Whoops._ I flipped back a full seven pages before finding the last bit of my notes that were even vaguely related to the lecture. With a sigh, I looked up at the board to find Iruka erasing the map.

He turned and clapped his hands. “Now that you have all unlocked you’re chakra, we’re going to move on to using that chakra. In a _safe_ manner. Mirai, I understand you already have a good grasp on your chakra, so you can focus on other things while your classmates learn.”

I smiled. “Arigato, Iruka-sensei.” He nodded back to me, not smiling but also not with that uncertain look he’d had when he’d begun a few weeks ago. I dug through my backpack and came up with the puzzle box Ibiki had given me. I frowned at it, turning it over and over in my hands.

**You’re not going to get it.**

_Watch me._

* * *

 

“Raise,” I said, tossing in another handful of ryo.

Ibiki tapped his fingers on the table, staring at his cards for a moment. He nodded. “Raise.” He pushed in his own bet.

I glanced at Izumo, who eyed Ibiki for a moment before setting down his cards. “Fold. Kotetsu?”

“Call!” Kotetsu shoved in the rest of his coins in order to match Ibiki’s bet and then turned expectantly to Anko, who was picking at her teeth with a dango skewer. “Well?”

“Fold,” she said, wrinkling her nose and setting down her cards. “Ibiki-kun has a good hand.”

“I told you not to call me that,” Ibiki muttered. “Tekuno?”

“Alright,” the man said, shuffling the remaining cards. “Reveal. Oh, pair? What did you think you were gonna get with that?”

“I could get lucky,” Kotetsu defended.

“Not against my hand,” Ibiki said simply, revealing his full house.

“Ouch,” I said, a grin tugging at my face. I flipped over my cards. “Royal flush.”

“Wha— How?” Izumo squeaked out. “That’s six wins in a row! That shouldn’t be possible!”

“Sorry, not sorry,” I said, raking the coins over to my side. I dug through my backpack and came up with my purse. As I began putting my new money away, Kotetsu turned to Tekuno.

“She cheated, right? You saw her cheat?” he demanded.

Tekuno blinked and held up his hands in defense, still holding the deck. “I didn’t see anything. Are you honestly thinking we all were tricked by a six-year-old? We’re shinobi. I doubt she could trick us.”

“Glad we’re all on the same page.” I cinched up my purse and tossed it back in my bag. “Thanks for the pocket change. Maybe you’ll win some back next Friday.”

“Yeah, sure,” Kotetsu muttered, knocking back some of his sake. “Why did we let you play, again?”

“I don’t know. When you figure that out, let me know.” With a grin, I hopped down from the seat at the table and turned. Only to run smack into someone and stumble back, grunting. I looked up, rubbing my eyes. “Who— Niisan!”

Kakashi reached out and put a hand on my head, glancing at the table. “Poker? Really? You’re corrupting her.”

“Am not,” Izumo immediately protested. “She asked to join. Besides, she just cleared us all out.”

I smiled up at Kakashi. “I just got lucky.”

“Kid, you’ve been ‘lucky’ for three weeks in a row now,” Ibiki grumbled, putting away his remaining money. “Either you really are just lucky or you’re a clever scam artist.”

I was about to bite out a quick comeback when Kakashi cleared his throat. “Actually, it’s probably an Uzumaki thing. Kushina was always good at games of chance. And if the stories about Mito-sama are even half true, then that backs up the theory.”

“Uzumaki have good luck?” I frowned. “Really?”

“At things like poker,” Kakashi said, looking down at me. “Or slot machines. Games of random chance.”

“Huh. I should go to a casino,” I murmured.

“Oh, no. Absolutely not.” He rolled his visible eye. “C’mon.” He took my hand and tugged me towards the station’s stairs. “The Hokage asked me to work with you, so I thought I could give you an introduction to the jutsu tonight and we could work on it tomorrow after Academy.”

My eyes widened and I hurried to fall into step beside him. “Kage bunshin?” I asked, swallowing.

“Hai. Kage bunshin.” He shoved open the door and we stepped out into the evening air. “How did you convince the Hokage you needed to know it, anyway?”

“There wasn’t much convincing involved,” I said, shrugging. “So, where are we going to learn this?”

“I wanted to go over the theory with you first and I’ve got that information written out at my apartment.” He turned towards the housing district.

“Your . . . apartment?” I frowned and sped up to keep pace with him. “I thought you lived at HQ.”

“I crash there sometimes,” he acknowledged, glancing nervously to the side as if trying to see if someone was listening to us. “But I have my own place. This way.” His grip on me tightened and then the world bent. I gasped for air as we jolted to a stop and started up at the old apartment building. “Careful,” he murmured. “You good?”

“Um, yeah, I’m good.”

“Alright. First floor.” He released me as he moved forward, digging his key out of his pocket. He stopped in front of room 103 and unlocked it. After unlocking it, he pressed his hand against the door frame and I felt a burst of cool energy.

“What was that?” I asked.

He glanced down at me. “Bypassing security seals. Come on in.” He pushed his way inside.

“Boss, you’re back later than I thought you would be.”

I froze in the doorway, staring at the inside of the one-room apartment. “What—“

“These are my summons. This is Pakkun.” He waved me inside.

I stepped in and then crouched down in front of the pug. “Konichiwa, Pakkun.”

“Hi,” he greeted. “Boss, we’re out of those biscuit treats I like.”

“I’ll pick some more up,” Kakashi said, locking the door. He tugged down his mask and motioned to the other dogs that were approaching me. “That’s Shiba,” he told me as I rose on my knees and let the collie sniff my hand. “Urushi is the one trying to sniff out the snacks you have in your bag.”

“Hey!” I pouted and pulled my backpack away.

“That there is—"

“I can introduce myself,” the greyhound assured him, shoving Shiba aside as he stepped forward. “I’m Uhei.”

I grinned. “Nice to meet you, Uhei.”

“Guruko’s hiding somewhere outside the apartment,” Pakkun said to Kakashi. And then to me, he said, “He’s a grumpy loner.”

“Oh. Okay. And— Oof!” I was knocked back and a huge tongue licked up my face. Laughing, I shoved the dog off of me. “Hi, there!”

“Sorry.” Kakashi sighed and hauled the dog back. “This is Bull. He’s a puppy and he’s still learning.”

“Hi, Bull,” I greeted, studying the puppy that was almost as big as me. “So, jutsu?”

“Over here.” He motioned me over to the small, two-person table that was taking up the majority of the space in his kitchen. I hopped up onto one of the chairs and leaned forward, looking at the pages he had spread out. “Now, for any jutsu more advanced than the Academy Three, I want to make something very clear. You _need_ to understand it before you try it. Remember how Kokage taught you about the full theory of that wind jutsu before teaching it to you.”

“I still can’t do it,” I said, tilting my head to the side.

“I know. But you understand the theory, right?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Now, kage bunshin is a little more complicated than that elemental jutsu.”

* * *

 

“Hunter nin win!” I announced as I slapped the last tag on Choji’s forehead.

“No fair,” Shikamaru grumbled. “Whatever team you're on always wins.”

I blinked at him. “Shikamaru . . . _you’re_ a hunter nin this game. We just won.”

He blinked at me. “Oh. Right. Hey, we won, Hinata.”

Hinata came out from the bushes and smiled slightly, face burning red. “M-mirai-chan did most of the work,” she mumbled. “I didn’t do much of anything.”

"Are you kidding me? You steered Shino right to me,” I told her, grinning. “I wouldn't have gotten him otherwise."

“Mirai is correct,” Shino said, removing the tag from his forehead. “That was an impressive maneuver, Hinata-san.”

She just flushed further and ducked her head. “A-a-arigato, Shino-kun.”

“Dinner!” Shisui announced, reappearing in a flash of energy. He stepped over to the blanket spread out in front of the tall stumps and set down the several bags he was carrying.

“Cool!” Naruto yelled, rushing over.

“Wait for everyone else, Nato!” I called, following at a more sedate pace. “Thanks, Shisui.”

“Sure thing, Taichou. Eat up, kids. I got enough of this to feed an army, so it should be enough between you four and the twins.”

I watched as the others sat down and began passing the takeout boxes around to collect their meal. Shisui nudged me and I looked up. “What?” I murmured.

“You gonna eat?”

“Not hungry.”

“Suit yourself.” He sat down and pulled some of the food over for himself. “I’ll have your share.” He pulled me down so I wasn’t the only one left standing.

“Hey, Mirai?” Choji asked, heaping more fish into his plastic bowl and then pointing his chopsticks at me. “How come you’re still in the Academy?”

I blinked at him, folding my hands in my lap. “What do you mean?”

“You already know everything, don’t you? Iruka-sensei is always letting you practice other stuff while we learn because you already know it all. Why don’t you just graduate?”

I pressed my lips together and glanced at Naruto, who was staring down into his food. Then I smiled at Choji. “I don’t feel like being a shinobi just yet.” I heard Shisui let out a small exhale and I glanced at him. “There’s no rush,” I said in conclusion. “Is that wrong?”

Choji shrugged and then held out an onigiri. “Hungry?”

“I’m good.” With that said, I laid back and tucked my hands under my head. As the conversation started up again—Sasuke asking a stuttering Hinata a question that made her chakra curl shyly inward—I let my eyes drift closed.

**Uzumaki.**

I sighed and opened my eyes again, staring up at Kurama. “I just want to take a nap. Is that so bad to ask?”

**“You can doze all you want, but we need to talk.”**

“Fine.” I stepped up to the bars and hesitated. He eyed me for a long moment and then I stepped through the bars and leaned against them. “Talk.”

**“You lied to the Uchiha. There are other options.”**

“I didn’t lie. I was serious when I said the other options wouldn’t work.” I sank down and crossed my arms over my knees. “We might be able to save some Uchiha, yes. But at the expense of what? Half the Village? I’ve been through the numbers. It’s impossible to avoid casualties no matter what. This is the . . . the best option. As much as I hate it.”

He stared at me. Then he shifted and lowered his head to his paws, letting his eyes close. **“If that’s what you say so you can live with yourself.”**

“What are you implying?” I asked sharply.

**“Exactly what I said. Now, I thought you wanted to nap.”**

I rolled my eyes and shoved myself to my feet. Carefully, I paced over to him. After just a moment of hesitance, I slid my hand into his fur. He shifted and I stilled, catching my breath. But when he didn’t protest, I crouched down and shifted around so that my back was rested against his shoulder. “Goodnight.”

**“It’s still day, Uzumaki.”**

I just smiled. “Goodnight.”

* * *

 

Seeing the way that Sasuke grinned excitedly while clutching his bag to his chest, I caved. “Alright, fine. You and Naruto can go ahead over to the apartment. I’ll walk the others home myself.” Hesitating, I looked up at Shisui.

He nodded. “I’ll make sure they get there. Don’t worry.” He motioned to me.”

“Thanks. Alright, let’s get you guys home.” I hooked one arm through Hinata’s and then reached for Shino with my other hand. When he shrank back a little, I shifted and instead linked my other arm through Shikamaru’s. The Nara grumbled a little but didn’t resist as I pulled him along. “C’mon! The Aburame compound is closest, so we’ll drop Shino-kun off first.”

“It’s very thoughtful of you to walk us, Mirai,” Shino said, falling into step.

I smiled at him.

“If only you were that thoughtful during Ninja.”

Shikamaru huffed at that. “As if. We could just ban her from the game next time.”

Hinata gasped shallowly. “N-no, that wouldn’t be fair. M-mirai shouldn’t be punished for winning.”

Shikamaru glanced across me at her. “Don’t worry, no one’s actually banning her. Not to say I don’t wish I could.” He trailed off, yawning.

“Hey, those are my feelings that you’re hurting, Shikamaru,” I protested lightly. “How’s that chakra control coming, by the way?”

He glanced away and muttered something.

“What’s that?”

Choji spoke up for him. “His kaachan’s been nagging him about not practicing. She said he’s been spending too much time napping. Or playing shogi.”

“Well, those are two of the best hobbies,” I mused. “And what about you, Choji-kun? What do you like to do?”

“I like to cook!” he responded immediately. “And I like to look at butterflies. My Touchan and I have a book.”

“Butterflies?” Shino asked curiously. “You are interested in entomology?”

Choji blinked at him. “Uh, what?”

“That’s studying insects, Choji-kun,” I said, pulling Shikamaru up as he tripped over a rock.

“Oh, no.” He shook his head. “I only really like butterflies.”

“Ah. I have a few books you might like,” Shino mused. “Perhaps you should come in the compound with me to look. My father can send your father a kikaichu to let him know you’ll be delayed.”

The Akimichi hesitated for a moment. “Butterflies?”

“Butterflies,” Shino confirmed seriously, nodding his head.

“Okay, then. I’ll go with Shino, Mirai-chan.”

“That sounds nice. Here we are, then.” I stopped by the compound gates and released Hinata and Shikamaru so I could step forward. “I’ll see you at the Academy in the morning.” I rose on my tiptoes so I could kiss Choji’s forehead—he was a large kid and that included height—before turning to Shino. “Thanks for playing with us.”

He smiled. “It was fun. Come, Choji,” he said with a wave, stepping past the guards and pushing open the compound gate. “Let’s find my father.”

“Alright!” I said, turning back and taking Hinata and Shikamaru’s hands. He groaned but didn’t actually complain. “Who’s next? Shikamaru, why don’t you lead the way to your place?”

“Yeah, okay,” he mumbled. “This way.” He tugged us forward. “You should stop by and play shogi sometime. We don’t always get to play at school.”

I wrinkled my nose. “You just like the fact that you can beat me.”

“Touchan is the only one that’s beat me,” he said confidently.

“I beat the Hokage.”

Shikamaru stopped short and turned to face me and Hinata made a squeak of surprise. “R-really? You beat him?”

“Yeah. Which means Shikamaru’s even better than Hiruzen, right?”

Hinata was red when I turned my attention to her but she nodded furiously. “You must be really smart, Shikamaru-kun,” she said softly.

Yet when I turned my attention to Shikamaru, he was looking at me oddly. “What is it?”

“You call the Hokage Hiruzen?”

“It’s his name.”

“Yeah, but . . . .” He shook his head. “Whatever. I give up.”

“On what?”

“Making sense of you.” He groaned and tilted his head back to stare at the clouds. “Rook, H3.”

Hinata’s hand flexed in mine in surprise and I glanced at Shikamaru. “What?”

“That’s my move. Rook, H3.”

“That—“ I squinted at him. “You want to play shogi? _Now?”_

“Yes. Rook, H3.”

“Um, okay. Right. Pawn, D1.”

“Pawn, F3.”

“That— Okay, hold on.” I screwed up my nose, closing my eyes to focus and trusting them to keep me from running into anything. I tried my best to think of the shogi board. “Um . . . . Bishop, C1.”

“Pawn, E3.”

“What the— How are you deciding so fast? Give me a second. I—“

“We’re here.”

I opened my eyes and blinked. “Huh?” I followed where Shikamaru was pointing to find myself looking at a sprawling set of houses against the backdrop of a in-Village forest. “You don’t have walls?”

“People know to stay out,” Shikamaru said easily, shaking himself lose. “I’ll see you—“

“Maru! Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friends?”

He cringed visibly and slowly turned to stare at the woman that was standing in the doorway to the first house. “Uh, hi, Kaachan. They were just leaving.”

I grinned. “Nonsense! I’d be happy to meet your parent, _Maru.”_

He threw a scowl at me. “Yeah, thanks.”

“Come on up!” his mother called. Then she looked back in the house and yelled, “Shikaku, get your lazy ass out here and meet Maru’s friends!”

I pulled Hinata forward and jogged up the stairs onto the porch. Then I looked back and stifled a laugh at the way Shikamaru was dragging his feet. “Going slower won’t make the situation go away.”

“Don’t be so sure about that,” a new voice said.

I straightened and looked up at the man that was sliding the door to the house closed. He stared down at me but didn’t say anything. I cleared my throat. “You must be Shikaku. You know, Hiruzen’s mentioned you a couple times.”

Shikaku arched an eyebrow but was interrupted before he could respond. “Well, Shikamaru? Are you going to introduce us?”

Shikamaru heaved a sigh. “Yeah, yeah. Kaachan, Touchan, this is Uzumaki Mirai and Hyuuga Hinata. Guys, this is my Kaachan and Touchan.”

“I’m Yoshino,” his mother said, smiling down at us in a way that managed to soften her severe countenance. “This is Shikaku. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“N-nice to meet you, you too,” Hinata said, her hand tightening around mine as she shifted nervously from foot to foot and ducked her head.

I bowed my head respectfully and then straightened. “Nice to meet you. Sorry if he’s grumpy,” I said, gesturing vaguely to Shikamaru. “It’s not anything I did. He’s just like that.”

Yoshino barked out a laugh at that. “Oh, I like this one. You chose a good friend, Maru.”

“Well, more like I became friends with Choji-kun and he was just part of the deal,” I said, smiling up at her. “But he’s okay, I guess.” When Hinata shifted again and pulled on my hand, I glanced her and smiled. “We should probably get going, though. I have to get Hinata-chan home.” I bowed again. “See you tomorrow, _Maru.”_

“Yeah. Go away, Mirai.”

“Shikamaru,” Yoshino said sharply.

I cut her off with a laugh and a grin before tugging Hinata back down the stairs. “Nice meeting you!” I threw back over my shoulder. “Which way, Hinata-chan?”

“U-um, left.”

“Great!” I released her and turned, walking backward so I could face her as I talked with the occasional glance over my shoulder. “So what about you? What do you like to do?”

“M-me?” she asked, eyes wide.

“Well, there’s no one else here that I’d be talking to.” I smiled.

“Oh, well.” She glanced to the side as she thought. “I, I like flowers. I, um, I gather them and press them to, to put them in a collection. Hanabi helps me sometimes.”

“Hanabi?”

“Oh, um, my little sister. She’s three, so she doesn’t help a lot.”

“Ah.” I glanced over my shoulder and saw we were approaching the Hyuuga compound’s iron wrought gates. “Do you think I could see your collection?”

“R-really?” she squeaked out, flushing pink. “Sure!” She hesitated and then took my hand again, pulling me towards the gate. The guards nodded to her and one of them opened the gate for her.

When she stepped through and she led me towards the first house, I stared around at the huge garden we’d stepped into. “What in the— This is beautiful, Hinata-chan.”

“Oh, thank you.” She threw me a small glance. “W-we all help out with the clan gardens. You could, could join us sometimes.” Then she backtracked. “Only, only if you w-want to!”

“I would love that,” I assured her softly. “This your place?”

“Um, this is the main building. The clan meeting room is where the Main Branch family lives.” She let go of my hand and smoothed out her clothing as she stepped up the stairs. “This, this way,” she murmured, folding her hands neatly as she walked. She followed the deck around to the side of the house and stopped in front of a shoji. “This is my room. Come on in.” She slid the door aside. “You, you’re sure you want to see my collection?”

I beamed at her, holding my smile until I was sure she saw it. “As sure as I’ve ever been about anything.”

* * *

 

“I should probably go and make sure Sasuke and Naruto haven’t torn up the apartment yet.” As I got to my feet, I pecked a quick kiss to Hinata’s forehead. “I’ll see you in the morning!”

She smiled shyly up at me and her giant book of pressed flowers closed with a thud. “Thank you for looking at my collection, Mirai-chan.”

“I was happy to!” I stopped by her door and stepped into my shoes while I pulled on my backpack. “Have a nice evening, Hinata-chan.” With that, I slid her door aside and stepped out. The air had grown a little cooler than when I had arrived an hour ago and I tilted my head back, taking in a nice breath of the crisp air.

“You aren’t a Hyuuga.”

I stopped short and snapped my gaze down to the young Hyuuga that was standing at the bottom of the stairs. “No, I’m not,” I said, tilting my head to the side. “Very perceptive of you.” I winced at the sarcasm that slipped into my voice. I was supposed to stay on good terms with Hinata’s clan, dammit!

 **Language** , my constant companion said cheekily.

_Shut up, Kurama._

The boy’s eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here?”

“Are non-Hyuuga’s not allowed?”

“Answer the question.”

I held back the scoff that itched in my throat and instead bowed my head. “I apologize for my rudeness. I’m a friend of Hinata-chan’s, and I was visiting with her.”

His face twisted into a sneer. “I see. I’ve made a mistake in talking to you, then. Failure only attracts failure, after all.”

I stared. Screw being on good terms with this brat, _no one_ talked bad about my friends like that and got away with it. “How the hell do you get off with speaking ‘bout Hinata-chan like that? Say what you want about me, prick, but don’t you _dare_ say anything bad about her. You probably barely even know what she’s really like, right? Next time you think about saying something like that, keep your dirty mouth shut and spare me losing brain cells to your stupid words.” I bit the words out like they were poison, glaring heatedly at him. Kurama stirred in the back of my head and let out a sound that soundly vaguely like a cross between a warning and a laugh.

He seemed taken aback for a moment, even stepping back before stiffening. His gaze narrowed and something in it chilled. “Who are you?”

“Uzumaki Mirai,” I spat out. “Who are you?”

“Hyuuga Neji.”

Heat drained from my face. How could I be so stupid? I should have seen who it was instantly. Worse than that, I’d probably just alienated one of the people that I had been determined to befriend. He’d probably hate me forever now. I was screwed.

_Fuck._

**Language!**

_Shut the hell up. This is serious._

But that didn’t stop him laughing. I swallowed and worked my jaw for a moment, staring at the boy in front of me. With a careful inhale, I stepped down the stairs until I was standing on the ground in front of him. I looked up at him—for being just a year older, he was awfully tall—and tried to make my smile as sincere as possible. “It’s nice to meet you, Neji-kun. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go home.”

He didn’t say anything in response but he didn’t move either. Was not having to blink another aspect of the Byakugan? No, that was ridiculous. Hinata blinked all the time.

I bowed my head and then stepped past him and through the garden. The guards opened the gates as I approached and waved me out of the compound without so much as a word. Then the entrance closed behind me with a sense of finality. I shoved my hands in my pockets, glanced around to orient myself to my location, and then headed off for the apartment.

I could hear Naruto and Sasuke before I was even inside and a smile tugged at my lips. I unlocked the door’s multiple latches and pushed my way in. “Ohayo, boys. Sorry it took me so long. I got sidetracked at Hinata’s place.”

“Rai! It’s okay,” Naruto said, looking up from where he was kneeling amidst a bunch of marbles. “Shisui’s been with us and he even taught us a new game!”

“Shisui?” I glanced to the side to find him sitting on the kitchen table, flicking through a notebook. “You didn’t have to stay.”

He looked up and shrugged. “I knew you’d feel better if I did. And I don’t mind.”

“Well, thank you.” I closed the door and locked it. “Hinata-chan has a pressed flower collection that I stayed to look at and—“

Cold chakra burst just barely at the edges of my sense and my words died in my throat. I blinked. “What—“

“I felt it too,” Shisui murmured, slowly setting his notebook aside. As he got to his feet carefully, his gaze was locked on my door. “You’re not expecting anyone, are you?”

“Um . . . no.” I took a few steps forward and Shisui’s chakra—when had he lowered his shields?—hissed at me. “Just . . . .” I waved to him and glanced at where Sasuke and Naruto were frozen, staring at me. I twisted my door handle and pushed my door open.

“Um . . . sorry if I scared you,” the visitor rasped.

My eyes widened. “Niisan? What the hell? Are you hurt again?” I lurched forward and grabbed his arm—not the one that was clutching his side—and dragged him to my bed. “Sit down. Sit— Shisui! Can you grab the med kit that’s under the sink?” I looked back to find the Uchiha standing in my doorway, backlit from the light in the living area. “Shisui!”

“Right!” He disappeared.

“What happened?” I asked Kakashi, shrugging off my backpack and tossing it aside. “Shouldn’t you be in the hospital?”

“Yeah, well.” He groaned, screwing his eyes shut. Where was his hitai-ate? Both eyes were bare and his messy hair was slicked sweaty across his forehead without his headband to keep it mildly tamed. “Sorry for being paranoid.”

My gaze snapped up to him. “Paranoid?” I glanced to the side, biting my lip, and found the cracked ANBU mask that was discarded on the floor. “‘Nu-nii,” I rasped, voice cracking. “What’s going on?”

The light flicked on and then the door shut loudly. “I distracted Naruto and Sasuke with the ice cream in the fridge. Sorry if you were saving that for something,” Shisui said, stepping to the bed and setting down the large box he was carrying. “So are you a hospital now?” he asked, attempting a weak grin as he tried to lighten the mood. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Yeah, you do that.” I opened the box. “Where are you hurt?” As he answered, I pumped out hand sanitizer and scrubbed my hands clean.

“Everything else negligible, but—“ He hissed and his clothing squelched as he took his hands from his stomach and tried to lift the fabric. Kakashi flinched violently.

“Shisui?” I pulled on gloves.

“Got it.” Shisui unbuckled Kakashi’s ANBU armor and then took the scissors I held out to cut away his shirt.

“Shisui, hold this,” I ordered. Once he’d taken the bowl I was holding out, I retrieved the bottle of saline. “What caused it?”

Kakashi hissed as Shisui helped him lean awkwardly sideways, blood falling into the bowl. “U-uh, um, a tanto.”

And then I got my first look at the gash in his side, raw muscle cut and blood staining every inch of visible flesh. “Shit,” I muttered. “I’m not a doctor, Niisan.” But nonetheless, I focused in and started rinsing out his wound. Occasionally, I would give Shisui an order to hand me something or I would wince at how shaky Kakashi’s breath was, but for the most part, I was able to concentrate on cleaning out, stitching up, and bandaging his wound. Finally, I pulled back and began peeling off my bloody gloves. “Take that into the bathroom and rinse it out there so the boys don’t see,” I told Shisui, gesturing to the bowl of blood and fluid. When he left to do so, I tossed my gloves in the trash and glanced at Kakashi. “Are Itachi and Neko-san okay?” I handed him a surgical mask.

“They’re fine.” He tugged off the torn remnants of his shirt and secured the mask over his now-bare face. “And you really know w-way too much about ANBU,” he rasped out, chest rising and falling shakily with his necklace stark against it, just making the pallor of his skin all the more obvious. “I should probably be concerned about that.”

“Probably,” I agreed. “But you should also probably be going to the hospital instead of seeking medical treatment from a six-year-old.” I looked back over my shoulder. “Thanks for the help, Shisui.”

He yanked on one of my braids as he came to a stop next to me. “Wasn’t about to leave you on your own, Taichou.”

“Ow,” I pouted, swatting his hand away. “Unnecessary, kiddo.” He shot me a look and I grinned before clearing my throat. “Could you get him some water? And maybe something light for his stomach?”

“Course.” Shisui backed out of the room again.

I crouched down and started tugging at Kakashi’s shoes. He pulled away and waved his hand. “You don’t have—“

“You’re not going anywhere tonight,” I said sharply. “You’re going to stay here and get some sleep and heal up. I’m assuming you didn’t really report in?” His glance away told me enough. “I’ll tell the Hokage where you are in the morning. For now,” —I managed to finally get his shoes off and I set them aside— “you’re getting some rest.” I packed up my med kit and moved it to the floor.

“What’s Shisui doing here?”

“Sasuke’s staying the night.” I hopped onto the bed next to him. “Shisui brought him and Naruto home while I walked my other friends back to their houses.” I gestured towards the backpack thrown haphazardly in the corner. “I’d just gotten home.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” I looked down and reached over, taking his hand in mine. His rough skin was pink since I hadn’t exactly been gentle when cleaning off the blood. I squeezed his hand as tightly as I could, though it was hard with the way his hand dwarfed mine. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Shisui pushed the door back open. “Alright, some toast and water for you, Bakashi. And some ramen for you, Taichou.”

I blinked and let go of Kakashi so I could take the bowl. “Oh, thanks.”

“You didn’t eat dinner,” Shisui reminded me, cradling the bowl of ramen he’d brought in for himself and dragging over my desk chair with his foot. “So, should I expect to find Itachi in a similar state?”

Kakashi’s open eye narrowed and he glanced at me. I shrugged. “I didn’t tell him.”

Shisui shrugged. “Tachi-chan can’t hide anything from me. He didn’t tell me but I did figure it out.” He waved his chopsticks. “So? He’s okay?”

“Yeah, he’s okay.” Kakashi hesitated, glancing down at his food.

I blinked. “Oh. Hey, Shisui, turn around, kiddo.”

“Only if you stop calling me kiddo,” he muttered, shifting the chair so his back was to us. “You know, you can’t keep that face hidden forever. My brother was determined to find out what’s under that mask and I’m going to continue that tradition.”

“Yeah, well, Obito never succeeded and you won’t either.” Kakashi pulled down the mask and started eating.

I forced a smile at the name. “You know, Shisui, there’s nothing really that special about it. It’s just a face.”

“You’re just saying that so I won’t look.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I set my untouched bowl in my lap and leaned my head against Kakashi’s shoulder. “Hey, Niisan?”

“Huh?” he asked, voice lethargic.

I glanced up and found he was already nodding off. So I took his plate and set it on top of my bowl, hopping to my feet. “Never mind. Get some sleep,” I said, reaching up and readjusting the mask over his face.

“Hmm,” he mumbled, already lying down without even bothering to get under the covers.

I tapped Shisui’s shoulder and opened the door. He got to his feet and followed me out. As he closed the door, he murmured, “He comes here for treatment a lot?”

I shook my head. “Only once before. And then he didn’t mean to come here for treatment, he was just stopping by because I’d been looking for him.”

“Rai?” Naruto asked, looking up from where he was sitting at the table with Sasuke. “What’s going on?”

I just smiled and moved to the sink. “Niisan stopped by, but he’s really tired. You’ll see him in the morning.” I rinsed off the plate.

“Mirai.”

The reproachful tone in Shisui’s voice made me look up, hesitant. “Yes?”

“You didn’t eat.”

“I’m not hungry.”

He worked his jaw for a moment then sighed. “Fine. I have some translations for you to look over when you have a moment.”

“Oh? Okay, sure, just a—“

“Hey, Rai! Do you want some ice cream? We only ate half of it!”

* * *

 

The first few days had been easy and I’d almost convinced myself that my conversation with Neji never happened, especially the part where I promptly fled the compound upon hearing his name. But then he seemed to have realized that I was in Hinata’s class and had decided that he wanted a second confrontation because four days after meeting him I suddenly found myself hiding in the girl’s lavatory to avoid him. Fast-forward a week and a half and I was a bundle of frayed nerves. On the upside, my stealth skills had increased considerably.

One thing was clear: Hyuuga Neji was most definitely a devil incarnate, or something equally terrible.

Shikamaru stared up at me, eyes half-lidded as if he was drifting off to sleep. “You gonna come down from there?”

I bit my lip and peered across the Academy yard at where Neji was stalking around, looking like he was on a mission. Then I looked down at the Nara below me and shook my head.

“Are you gonna tell me why you don’t wanna play Ninja with the others?”

Another shake of my head.

“Are you gonna tell me what’s going on?”

Another shake.

He dropped his chin to his chest and sighed. “Mendokuse,” he muttered. “Fine. I’m coming up.” He stepped up to the tree trunk and frowned for a moment before finding handholds. He grunted with effort as he started pulling himself up. He reached the first branch and wriggled up. With a groan, Shikamaru tilted his head back to stare up at me. He sighed. “Seriously?” After taking a deep breath, he forced himself up and kept climbing. When he finally reached where I was tucked between two limbs branching out from the trunk, he waved me aside. “Let me in.”

I edged out onto one of the branches a little to give him enough room. When he wriggled into the spot, breathing heavily, I grinned. “Tired?”

“Shut up, Uzumaki.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “So?”

“So what?”

“Who are you hiding from?”

“Who says I’m hiding?”

Shikamaru wrinkled his nose. “Fine, if you’re gonna treat me like I’m dumb.” He grunted and moved to get down.

I groaned and reached out a hand to stop him. “Fine, fine. You’re not dumb. I’m hiding from Neji.”

“Neji?”

“Hyuuga. He’s Hinata’s cousin and I may or may not have snapped at him when I met him and now he seems to be searching for me.”

He barked out a laugh. “You’ve never had anyone warn you against getting on a Hyuuga’s bad side?”

I frowned and glanced at him. “No. You’ve had someone tell you that?”

“It’s a common saying. Hyuuga tend to hold grudges. And it’s hard to hide from them too, as you seem to have realized.”

“Speaking from personal experience?” I prompted, nudging him with my elbow so he shifted a little to give me just a touch more room.

“Not exactly. Tousan’s told some stories. Apparently, he and Hinata’s dad haven’t always got on too well. And they still get into a row every now and then.” He tucked his hands behind his head. I wrinkled my nose and shifted away from the elbow he’d shoved in my face. When Shikamaru smirked a little, I scowled at him. He sighed. “You know what he did to fix the problem?”

“What?”

“He got Hiashi to focus on someone else.”

* * *

 

“Hyuuga Neji?” Tenten asked, wrinkling her nose. “Yeah, he’s in my class.” As her swing began to slow down, she kicked again to keep herself growing. She took a bite of dango and then mumbled, “Why?”

“He seems like he’s in need of a friend,” I said, shaking my head to try to clear out the blood rushing to it. I looked down—or up?—at my feet where I was standing on the underside of the swing set’s beam, between Lee and Tenten’s swings. “Plus, I kinda yelled at him when we first met when I shouldn’t have and now he keeps trying to find me. Probably to fight again. If he makes a friend, maybe he’ll obsess over confronting me less.”

“Is he mean?” Lee asked, pulling at his braid. “Is that why you yelled at him?”

I released the flow of chakra to my feet and flipped down, landing with a grunt. “A little,” I conceded. “But I really do think he needs a friend. He seems lonely.”

Lee and Tenten exchanged glances. Then Tenten nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”

**Author's Note:**

> Question: What’s your guilty pleasure when it comes to (Naruto) fanfics?
> 
> Today’s suggested fanfic: Better Late by Ariana Deralte. (on FF.net)


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